My newest book, Be Killing Sin: The Art of War on the Battlefield of Faith is available now!
The book guides followers of Christ on a journey that exposes the vicious monster of sin, explains the posture of sin and expounds on a plan to defeat it. The book leans heavily on the Puritans, those physicians of the soul who cherished God’s Word and offered godly counsel for spiritual soldiers.
“Be Killing Sin is a heart-penetrating read and profitable for both new and seasoned believers who sincerely desire to be exhorted regarding the danger of personal sin and educated on the biblical means of defeating sin in their lives. I highly recommend Dr. Steele’s uncompromising and practical book on this much-needed topic.”
STEVE BALVANZ, Senior Pastor, Spring Creek Bible Church, Bellingham, WA
“I highly recommend that you add this book to your library and read it repeatedly to fortify your soul against the temptations and struggles we all have with sin.”
BRUCE PARKER, Pastor Emeritus, Faith Bible Church, Hood River, OR
James W. Shrimpton, The King and the Dragon (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2022), 32 pp.
The King and the Dragonis a creative tale for children. James W. Shrimpton teams up with Helena Perez Garia, a world-class illustrator in her own right. The story is about a King with a great golden throne. A Dragon tries to usurp the King’s throne and deceive his people. Thankfully, a child is born who grew up and fought the Dragon. The Dragon defeated the Knight but rose again on the third day, to rule with the King on his throne.
The purpose of the book is to give parents a creative tool to share with their children the story about God’s redemptive plan that unfolds with the birth, life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The King and the Dragon is a creative book, short enough to keep the attention of small children, and helps parents begin to put the pieces of redemptive history together in a way that is understandable for children.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
Vern S. Poythress, Redeeming Our Thinking About History: A God-Centered Approach (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2020), 247 pp.
Every person is a historian of sorts. Each person is not only a product of history but is also constantly interpreting it. “History,” according to Vern Poythress, “is indispensable in the Bible and in the Christian faith.” Such is the theme of the author’s most recent book, Redeeming Our Thinking About History: A God-Centered Approach.
The book is arranged in five parts:
What We Need in Order to Analyze History
History in the Bible
Understanding God’s Purposes in History
What Does History Writing Look Like?
Alternative Versions of How to Think About History
Part three is worth the price of the book as Dr. Poythress shows readers how God orchestrates historical events for his glory: “We believe from the Bible that God controls all of history. His purposes are present in everything that occurs. No events – even the smallest (Prov. 16:33; Matt. 10:29) – take place without his control over the causes.” The author also makes it clear that God operates via primary causation and secondary causation. Such a scheme enables God to ordain everything that comes to pass and also grants creatures the opportunity to exercise choices, which are always according to their strongest inclination.
The author reveals different ways to think about history. The model he commends is called Providentialism, which places God in a position of authority and divine purpose. He argues that Providentialism is supported in Scripture and gives us the responsibility for praising the work of his hands. It also reveals a God who is intimately involved in historical events – from the smallest to the greatest.
In the end, Redeeming Our Thinking About History accomplishes what it sets out to do. It helps establish the Christian mind and secure a God-centered approach to history. Such a theme is repeated in other works by Poythress that exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and proclaim his lordship over all things.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
Kevin DeYoung and Don Clark, The Biggest Story Bible Storybook (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2022), 529 pp.
The Biggest Story Bible Storybook by Kevin DeYoung is a book that every Christian parent should read and re-read to their children. DeYoung makes it clear that “this book is a storybook about the Bible, but it is not the Bible.” The aim of the book is to teach children the “grand, sweeping story of Scripture.” The book is arranged in seven parts:
The Pentateuch
History
Poetry
The Prophets
The Gospels
Acts and Epistles
Revelation
Each part contains basic narratives that help children see the big picture. Better yet, each page is beautifully illustrated by Don Clark. Clark is a gifted artist that brings biblical stories to life in a way that will keep children interested and drawn to God’s big story.
The great benefit of this book is that it opens the eyes of children to the wonder of theology and the greatness of God. It provides a basic framework for children to grasp systematic and biblical theology as they grow older. Children will discover that Christ is the focal point of Scripture – from the Garden of Eden to the New Earth.
I can’t say enough about The Biggest Story Bible Storybook. DeYoung is able to capture the essential elements in Scripture and does it in a compelling and creative way. Even though the book is designed for children, I recommend that every incoming Bible College student read this excellent book to provide a beautiful overview of God’s Word.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
Pornography has a stranglehold on countless men and women in our culture. There was a day when one needed to seek porn out but with the rise of the internet, pornography stalks the unsuspecting through means of a phone, computer, or television. Sadly, many of these are naively lured into grievous sin and find themselves in a pattern of defeat.
Ray Ortlund is burdened for people entrapped in the sin of pornography; he also has a burden to see the industry burn to the ground. In his book, The Death of Porn, the author addresses the hearts of men in particular. His aim is to see men become men of integrity who play a vital role in building a world of nobility.
The Death of Porn is a unique book, written with a personal and pastoral tone. It is a simple read and practical in nature. The driving factor in Ortlund’s book is not psychology or self-help. At the very center of the book is the gospel of Jesus Christ. In six short letters, Pastor Ortlund addresses Sons as he would address one of his own.
Part one, Reintroducing the Charactersfocuses on three specific characters: 1) Men who struggle with sexual sin, 2) Women who have been hurt by the porn industry, and 3) The Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is presented as the conquering Lion, the One who reigns over sin and resurrected from the grave. But Jesus is also presented as the Lamb who was slain. At the heart of this discussion is the need to understand that Jesus is both the Lion and the Lamb:
It helps us that the roaring Lion and the sacrificial Lamb are one and the same person. He respects us enough to confront our sins. But he also values us enough to pay for our sins – at cost to himself alone. Jesus is building his new kingdom in a surprising way. He gives porn stars their dignity back, and he gives porn consumers their honor back. He loves doing this.
This Lion and Lamb calls sinners to the foot of the cross to repent and believe. He calls sinners to drink from the fountain of his grace, the only fountain that truly satisfies. Ortlund urges readers to draw near to the Lord Jesus Christ:
But this letter is about our true King. And I’m asking you to hand yourself over to him. Then he’ll plunge your past under his own blood. And he will provide everything you’re going to need – moment by moment – as he leads you into your future.
Part two, Reimagining the Future offers readers hope for the future as the death of porn becomes a reality. Ortlund assures his Son with timely encouragement: “You’re on the right side of history, not because of your resolve but because of his resurrection.” This is a crucial point as many struggling men attempt to break the power of porn via will-power or promises that are eventually broken. In the end, however, the only One who can rescue men from pornography is the Lord Jesus Christ and the message of the gospel.
The author builds on this hopeful theme by summarizing how to fight well. First, What You’re Fighting For. He adds, “When you take up the fight against evil, you are planning a noble thing. You are standing for a noble thing. If you ever feel like a coward in the face of the battle, you can pivot immediately, turn from your fear back to Jesus, and brace yourself again for the fight.”
Second, How You Can Fight Well. Ortlund encourages his Son to remember that God is with him and rejoices over him. This point assumes that the battle against sin is ongoing until we reach the shores of the Celestial City. He urges, “Let’s support one another as we fight for our integrity. But let’s never make room for sin – even in our thoughts.”
Third, What Winning Will Cost You. The author challenges his Son to be killing sin by the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:13). Such an endeavor will obviously be costly and will be worth every ounce of gospel-centered obedience. Ortlund concludes, “Jesus calls you to fight for his new world of nobility … joyously, decisively, repeatedly.”
In the fifth letter, Sons are encouraged to work together. The author exhorts him, “ … You, with your brothers, will create a new world of nobility. Moving forward shoulder to shoulder, you can starve that predatory Beast – the porn industry.”
Ortlund underscores the importance of transparency. He draws on James 5:16 and encourages his Son to confess sin, pray with like-minded brothers, which ultimately leads to healing. The sum of the matter is deeply encouraging:
Your brotherhood can go viral. It can easily multiply, leaping over barriers, reaching men far away, men you might never even meet in this life. But in our sick world, healing is a powerful force. Your new freedom of heart can flow out, by the grace of God, reaching even the darkest places of porn. God can do that through you – the real you, with other real men.
The final letter focuses on making a world of difference. Ortlund writes, “Jesus is calling you to build a new world of nobility, to the furthest extent of your influence, for the rest of your life. And he’s in the fight with you.” He includes practical proposals that will enable men to make a maximum impact in their world.
My hope is that The Death of Porn reaches thousands upon thousands of young men who need a strong and biblical challenge from a seasoned pastor who cares about the legacy of the next generation. That legacy involves men committed to holiness and integrity; men who are building a world of nobility.
Sinclair Ferguson, Some Pastors and Teachers. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2017, 802 pp. $45.00
The day that Sinclair Ferguson’s new book, Some Pastors and Teachers arrived, I was like a kid in a candy store; a monkey in a banana factory; a shark in blood-infested waters. Gazing at the table of contents caused my heart to race, which is a testimony of my deep love for the church, theology, and pastoral ministry.
It was immediately apparent that Dr. Ferguson was attaching a high degree of importance to the past by acknowledging some of the great pastor-teachers in church history – men like John Calvin, John Owen, John Murray, and the Puritans.
Some Pastors and Teachers is a mixture of biography, systematic and biblical theology, and pastoral theology. Ferguson writes with theological precision and pastoral compassion and experience. He writes with a gravitas that is both weighty and inspirational.
While each of the thirty-nine chapters are commendable in their own right, chapter thirty-seven, was especially meaningful to me. Ferguson argues with great force that “all truly biblical preaching is preaching to the heart.” This kind of preaching is marked by several characteristics:
A right use of the Bible which must first be directed to the mind. Ferguson adds, “When we preach to the heart, the mind is not so much the terminus of our preaching, but the channel through which we appeal to the whole person, leading to the transformation of the whole life.
Nourishment of the whole person. Ferguson makes it clear that spiritual nourishment must be carefully defined: “There is a difference between a well-instructed congregation and a well-nourished one.”
An understanding of the condition of hearers.
The use of the imagination.
Grace in Christ.
This behemoth of a book is filled with rich material that promises deep pastoral encouragement, comfort, and instruction. This “doxological Calvinism” is the best of all worlds. Such a theological framework strengthens minds, nourishes hearts, and ultimately equips pastors to feed, lead, love, and protect the flock – all for God’s glory.
In the nineteenth century, the British politician, William Wilberforce began a movement that led to the abolition of the slave trade. His robust Christian faith fueled his resolve to see tyranny destroyed and people created in the imago Dei set free. Today, there are 27 million slaves in the world. 1.2 million are children, enslaved by the sex trade industry in India. These horrifying realities are a painful reminder of the sin that pollutes our world; they harken back to the days of Wilberforce. Yet today, very few appear willing to pick up the cause that Wilberforce began.
First time author, Corban Addison delivers a heart-wrenching, mind-rivetting, spine-tingling thriller that exposes the human trafficking/sex trade industry in his novel, A Walk Across the Sun. Readers should be forewarned that this novel is not for the faint at heart. The author paints a grizzly portrait of the underworld; a world that exploits women and children and panders to the diabolical deeds of men.
I can’t say enough about Corban Addison. He writes with Grisham-like precision which ultimately leads to a redemptive end. He gives enough details to educate readers to this horrifying industry which carries the ultimate aim of involvement, reformation, and the obliteration of slavery around the world. The book is a mixture of unmitigated evil and unvarnished beauty.
Many thanks to my friends, Ron and Mark for alerting me to this book. I’ll never doubt you again!
Matt Carter and Aaron Ivey, Steal Away Home, Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2017, 294 pp. $14.60
Church history is filled with stories of courage, adventure, adversity, and persecution. From the exile of Athanasius, the martyrdom of John Rogers and William Tyndale, or Luther’s trial at Worms, these stories are well-known and we are quick to pass them along to the next generation.
Steal Away Home by Matt Carter and Aaron Ivey is a tale that will be new to many readers, however. It was certainly new for me! The story involves two men from backgrounds that have very little in common. C.H. Spurgeon was the Prince of Preachers, a refined man with a rich theological heritage who occupied the pulpit in Victorian England. He was well-known around the world. He was a best-selling author and recognized by thousands. Thomas Johnson was a simple slave boy who was unjustly shackled in colonial America. He was known by few and treated like an animal. His slave master worked him to the bone on the Virginia tobacco fields.
Jesus Christ liberated Thomas Johnson. He freed him from the power and the penalty of sin. President Abraham Lincoln rescued Thomas Johnson from the sin of slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation, which Lincoln regarded as the crowning achievement of his presidency, liberated Thomas from his slave master. Jesus Christ liberated Thomas from the slave master of sin.
Through a series of Providential events, Thomas Johnson found himself at the front door of C.H. Spurgeon in London. After his training was complete, he and his wife made their way to Cameroon, West Africa in 1879.
PERSONAL TAKEAWAYS
Steal Away Home is a work of historical fiction. It becomes clear at the outset, however, that the authors spent many hours researching the details of this intriguing story. My hope is that a few personal takeaways will prompt many people to enter rich world of the 19th century and absorb some life-altering lessons.
1. The Humanization of C.H. Spurgeon
I have been reading Spurgeon and books about the Prince of Preachers for almost thirty years. This book brilliantly captures the essence of Spurgeon and is not afraid of revealing his warts, weaknesses, and worries. It is a breath of fresh air for anyone who is under the false notion that the famous preacher from London lived a life of ease. Spurgeon’s doubt and lifelong battle with depression is highlighted and his fears are revealed.
2. The Horror of Slavery
Most Americans recognize that slavery is a perpetual “black eye” on our nations’ history. But few understand the gravity of what these innocent African Americans endured. Carter and Ivey masterfully reveal the pitiful nature of slavery through the eyes of Thomas Johnson. Sympathetic readers will feel genuine grief as they walk with Johnson and experience the horror of his chains.
3. The Hallowed Ground of Friendship
Steal Away Home reminds readers of the importance and value of friendship. The friendship fostered by Spurgeon and Thomas is grounded in grace and nurtured by honest communication, genuine fun, rich encouragement, and biblical accountability. Like David and Jonathan, these two men are examples of friendship that glorifies God. Indeed, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24). Indeed, friendship is hallowed ground that too few men tread upon.
4. The Hope of the Gospel
Finally, this story shows how the gospel operates in the real world. Apart from grace, Charles Haddon Spurgeon and Thomas Johnson were dead in trespasses and sins, without hope and without God. Indeed, apart from grace, Spurgeon and Johnson were both spiritual slaves. Both men, however, were set free as they cast their hope on the Lord Jesus Christ. In the course of their very different earthly paths, they wound up on the same spiritual path, which ultimately led them both to the Celestial City!
Steal Away Home encouraged me personally and moved my soul in ways that most books only hope to do. Matt Carter and Aaron Ivey stepped up to the plate and hit the ball out of the park. Their work will no doubt be a contender for book of the year. I commend their work wholeheartedly!
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
Open the morning newspaper. Watch the evening news. Pay careful attention to the culture that surrounds us. You will be prompted to protest. You will be cajoled to complain. You will feel the steady pull of pundits who invite you to join their campaign. Emotions will range from fear to frustration. Anger dominates much of the time. When anger doesn’t reign, anxiety is sure to take its place.
Followers of Jesus Christ have a higher calling. We must be discerning and live distinctly Christian lives (1 Pet. 1:14-17). A little phrase is tucked away in Romans 5:11 that helps refocus our attention on what really matters:
“More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”
“We also rejoice in God.” This is exactly the opposite of what our culture demands. Rejoicing in God, then, is countercultural. It is also commanded!
Paul’s argument in this unit of thought in Romans chapter 5 ends on a high note. The guilty have been pardoned (v. 9). The condemned have been saved (v. 9). Enemies have been reconciled (v. 10). The posture of rebellion has turned to a posture of joy!
Do you want to impact lives? Do you want your life to be a reflection of God? Do you want to glorify the great God of the universe? Refuse to bow down to the idols of the age. Refuse to get caught up in the pettiness that characterizes our day. Choose today to rejoice in God!
Kevin DeYoung, Men and Women in the Church (Wheaton: Crossway Books 2021), 170 pp.
One of the most contested issues in the church in recent days concerns the role of men and women in the church. What are they commanded to do? What are they prohibited from doing? The chief question among many people is this: “Can a woman preach on a Sunday morning to a congregation that consists of both men and women? Kevin DeYoung tackles this thorny question in his excellent book, Men and Women in the Church. The subtitle captures the essence of the book: A Short, Biblical, Practical Introduction.
The book is arranged in two parts. Part 1 focuses on biblical exposition. DeYoung begins in the Old Testament and works his way through Scripture and highlights the pertinent themes concerning the role of men and women in the church. Readers must bear in mind that the purpose of this book is to introduce the central themes and cause them to take a deeper dive into more comprehensive treatments of this subject.
Part 2 contains questions and applications. DeYoung explores common questions that pertain to men and women in the local church and he provides clear biblical answers.
One section that is particularly helpful concerns parenting children and teaching them their respective roles as aspiring men and women. DeYoung is intrigued (as am I) with John Piper’s helpful question: “If your son asks you what it means to be a man, or your daughter asks you what it means to be a woman, what would you say?” DeYoung builds on this thought-provoking question and explores ways for parents to raise their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. He concludes:
What do we say then to our sons and daughters who ask, ‘Daddy and Mommy, what does it mean to be a man or a woman?’ Tell them they are made in the image of God and for union with Christ. And then tell your daughters that they should strive to be beautiful in the way God wants them to be beautiful. And tell your sons to strive to be strong in all the ways God wants them to be strong.
While the arguments in DeYoung’s work are not as detailed as those found in works like Recovering Manhood and Womanhood, edited by John Piper and Wayne Grudem, the arguments are still substantial. Indeed, DeYoung’s arguments are concise. But more important the arguments are biblical. I commend Men and Women in the Church to anyone who will take time to wrestle with DeYoung’s essential arguments. My hope is that many readers will be convinced. The result is a strengthened and more obedient church.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
Sinclair Ferguson, Some Pastors and Teachers. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2017, 802 pp. $45.00
Matt Carter and Aaron Ivey, Steal Away Home, Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2017, 294 pp. $14.60
Veritas et Lux 