Veritas et Lux

Think, Learn, Succeed – Caroline Leaf (2018)

tink Caroline Leaf, Think, Learn, Succeed (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2018), 316 pp.

Think, Learn, Succeed is the latest offering from the pen of Dr. Caroline Leaf. Dr. Leaf’s chief objective is nicely summarized in the book’s subtitle: Understanding and Using Your Mind to Thrive at School, the Workplace, and Life.

The author presents a series of mindsets that set readers on a path to learning and effectiveness. These mindsets are practical and instructive and serve the reader well by revealing motivating factors that spark productivity and cultivate a climate of learning.

The heart of the book discusses the gift profile whose stated aim is to “customize thinking.” “Understanding our customized way of thinking,” writes Leaf, “is, in fact, essential to understanding ourselves, our identities.” Seven modules are introduced along with gift profiles that evaluates where a given person stands. Ultimately, understanding the so-called customized way of thinking enables one to develop workable strategies that enhance thinking, learning, and success.

There is much to commend about this book and will likely help and encourage many people. However, not everything is noteworthy as the author cites the well-known poem, “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley. The closing words of the poem are troublesome:

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul.

This spirit of autonomy that Henley promotes is also exalted in Leaf’s book: “You redesign your future because your future is in your hands.” Scripture presents are radically different portrait, however. God’s Word exalts the sovereignty of God, not the so-called autonomy of man. God’s Word affirms that God ordains all things. Indeed, he is the creator. Humans are creatures, not the “captains” of their souls.

Discerning readers will accept the valuable principles in Think, Learn, Succeed and benefit from Dr. Leaf’s research. But they will also discard anything that does not line up with Scripture.

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

The Lordship of Christ: Serving Our Savior All of the Time, In All of Life, With All of Our Heart – Vern Poythress (2016)

Vern Poythress. The Lordship of Christ: Serving Our Savior All of the Time, In All of Life, With All of Our Heart. Wheaton: Crossway
Books, 2016. 224 pp. $14.49

The Dutch statesman, Abraham Kuyper famously said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine.’” Such is the theme of the recent book by Vern Poythress, The Lordship of Christ: Serving Our Savior All of the Time, In All of Life, with All of Our Heart.

Poythress attempts to show readers that the Lordship of Christ extends to every area of life, including politics, science, art, the future, education, and work. Nothing is excluded.

The author sets the stage by making the crucial assertion that the lordship of Christ extends to believers and unbelievers alike. No one is excluded. Every atheist, agnostic, neo-pagan, gnostic, new ager, evolutionist, and every Christian is subject to the lordship of Christ. The general tone of the book is to help readers understand the implications of living in a world where Christ is Lord over all.

Poythress carefully establishes the basis for a Christian worldview which is grounded in absolute surrender to Jesus Christ: “To confess Jesus to be Lord is to confess him to be God, the same God who is the God of Israel and who created the world.” Poythress continues, “Jesus is therefore worthy of absolute allegiance. In giving allegiance to Jesus we are at the same time giving allegiance to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, because the three persons are God.”

At the end of the day, every person who stands under Christ’s lordship also recognizes that glorifying him brings the highest measure of satisfaction. Poythress observes, “We find our deepest satisfaction and the deepest fulfillment of who we are – who we were created to be – when we serve God: ‘Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.’”

One of the most helpful aspects of this book is a basic repackaging of Cornelius Van Til’s apologetic method. Standing with Van Til, Poythress demonstrates the principle of antithesis (which was also popularized by Francis A. Schaeffer). The author demonstrates how knowledge is always derived from God and is therefore, never autonomous: “We must not seek knowledge autonomously, in independence from or isolation from God’s words. That is a form of rebellion, which dishonors God’s way of living. When there seems to be a tension between God’s word in Scripture and what we are learning from other sources, Scripture has the priority because it is the word of God.”

Some books are meant to be nibbled at; others are meant to be devoured. The Lordship of Christ is of the later sort. This is a serious book for anyone who is serious about pursuing Christ and glorifying him in every arena of life. College students and Seminarians should devour this wonderful book and find great freedom in living under the authority and lordship of Jesus.

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

Scientism and Secularism – J.P. Moreland (2018)

J.P. Moreland, Scientism and Secularism (Wheaton: Crossway, 2018), 210 pp.

When Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859, the intellectual tectonic plates shifted with a force that continues to reverberate to this day. One of the tragic consequences (among many) that the book helped spawn was the philosophical notion of scientism. While this trendy worldview looks and sounds scientific, it is anything but. On the contrary, scientism aggressively advances the idea “that the hard sciences alone have the intellectual authority to give us knowledge of reality.” Stated another way, the other disciplines (theology and philosophy, for example) which have long sought to provide epistemological answers are no longer valid and offer no new insight when it comes to truth claims.

Scientism and Secularism by J.P. Moreland explores the themes of scientism in particular and helps readers uncover the diabolic implications of this school of thought. Dr. Moreland offers a comprehensive explanation of scientism and provides several examples of how it is influencing students in a postmodern age. He pulls the curtain back on scientism and helps the unsuspecting see that it is, in the final analysis, the enemy of science and as a result, is at odds with the historic Christian faith.

Moreland is typically fair and even-handed in his treatment of scientism. but ultimately argues that scientism has nothing in the way of explanatory power and should be rejected.

Science and Secularism is a readable and winsome book. It should be carefully read by university students, Christian and non-Christian alike. Christians will be better equipped to respond to typical arguments posited by scientism and non-Christians will be challenged to reconsider their presuppositions.

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

Grace Works – Douglas Bond (2014)

Several months ago, I titled a sermon Grace Works, based on Titus 2:11-14. Verse 11 reminds us that grace has appeared in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. This grace has saved us. This grace has transported every believer from death to life. This grace saves us, sanctifies us, and secures our future with Christ. Indeed, grace works! So when I learned about the new book by Douglas Bond, entitled Grace Works I requested a copy from a company I write reviews for. It was a great decision!

Douglas Bond is concerned; deeply concerned. He along with a handful of evangelicals including R.C. Sproul, J.I. Packer, Jerry Bridges, John Piper, and Tim Keller are concerned that the gospel is being eclipsed by works-based righteousness. John Calvin had a similar concern in the 16th century: “We must exercise the utmost caution lest we allow any counterfeit to be substituted for the pure doctrine of the gospel.”

Douglas Bond alerts Christ-followers to this gospel counterfeit in his latest book, Grace Works. The author shows how this counterfeit gospel has emerged throughout church history. He demonstrates the subtle shift that took place in European churches that once glowed with Reformation fervor. He cites several examples of how the gospel has been distorted and continues to be distorted in the contemporary church.

At the heart of the book lies a concern that many believers appear to be confused about the biblical gospel. While many give lip-service to the doctrine of justification by faith alone, many continue to add requirements which muddy the “waters of grace” in the final analysis.

The author cites Tim Keller approvingly who says, “It is only in the gospel of Jesus Christ that you get the verdict before the performance.” Bond adds, “Every other religion requires performance before the verdict. But in the gospel, Christ has stooped down and perfectly obeyed for us, as our substitute. Jesus the righteous one was righteous in our place. By the grace of the gospel, performance will follow, but in justification the verdict is already in: we are forever righteous in Christ. That is immeasurably good news!”

Yet, a stunning number of professing evangelicals are repudiating justification by faith alone by adding requirements which is tantamount to a works-based approach. The road back to Rome may be paved with good intentions, but thoughtful observers can hear the gnashing of teeth.

Bond warns readers of the subtle ways that law creeps into the gospel, especially when pastors and Christian leaders make obedience a requirement for justifying grace. Bond adds, “Serious error arises when trusting and obeying are required as concurrent actions the sinner must do in the context of his justification. Trusting is not sufficient – which is the same as saying that faith alone is not sufficient; you must also obey the law to win God’s final favor.” Several examples are cited and once again readers are warned to flee from the works-based system of Rome.

Douglas Bond is to be commended for writing a book that is timely, especially in light of the so-called New Perspective on Paul movement. The gospel shines brightly in Grace Works. The doctrines which were rediscovered by the Protestant Reformers are put on display. The law is put in its proper place as a tutor which leads us to Christ. Readers are reminded that the law cannot justify; nor can the law sanctify.

My hope is that Grace Works receives a wide readership and that thousands of people will be equipped in gospel-centered reality. My hope is that many will see the errors of the Roman road; that they will turn back and swim in the waters of free grace and be refreshed by the sola’s of the Reformation!

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

Highly recommended!

Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense – Paul David Tripp (2018)

tripp 2 Paul David Tripp, Suffering (Wheaton: Crossway, 2018), 210 pp.

C.S. wrote, “If I knew a way of escape I would crawl through the sewers to escape the pain.” Whether a person agrees with Lewis’s radical conclusion or not is a matter of personal opinion. However, the problem of suffering is a universal dilemma that every person must face. How we respond to suffering reveals the strength of our Christian resolve and character.

Paul David Tripp’s recent book, Suffering explores a weighty subject and invites readers onto a personal journey that will encourage deep humility and personal growth. Speaking personally, Dr. Tripp’s book took my breath away. The author’s transparency and humble approach spoke deeply to my heart and lifted my spirit.

In the final analysis, this book has less to do with coping with suffering and more to do with how suffering can supernaturally transform the lives of God’s people. Listen to Tripp’s meditations and allow his words to sink in deeply:

“Suffering has the power to turn your timidity into courage and your doubt into surety. Hardship can turn envy into contentment and complaint into praise. It has the power to make you tender and approachable, to replace subtle rebellion with joyful surrender. Suffering has the power to form beautiful things in your heart that reform the way you live your life. It has incredible power to be a tool of transforming grace.”

Suffering in many ways is like pouring ice-cold water on an unsuspecting victim; a battering ram that brings even the most powerful to a place of humility and surrender. This volume is quick to remind us that all those who suffer are in desperate need of grace. Tripp adds, “This physical travail, in the hands of my Savior, is a tool used to drive me away from self-sufficiency and into a deeper dependency on God and his people.” Therefore, suffering is greatly used by God to propel his people to a place they never would have reached apart from suffering.

This fundamental message of transformation stands at the heart of Tripp’s book and has the power in itself to encourage and equip a lot of people in God’s kingdom.

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

This is the Day – Tim Tebow

tebow Tim Tebow, This is the Day (New York: Waterbrook, 2018), 209 pp.

I’ve been a sports fan my entire life. I’ve seen athletes come and go. I’ve seen well-respected athletes like Lance Armstrong disappoint their fans. And I’ve seen athletes who have been misunderstood and misrepresented. But I cannot think of an athlete who has been more unfairly treated than Tim Tebow in recent years.

Tebow is a two-time national champion, first-round NFL draft pick, and Heisman Trophy winner. The Tim Tebow Foundation has encouraged and enriched countless lives and brought hope to the hopeless. Yet this man continues to misrepresented in the media.

Somehow, Tebow rises above the finger pointing and banter and continues to make a difference in the lives of people. His most recent book, This is the Day, is a testament to this reality.

Twelve chapters inspire readers to reclaim their dreams, live with passion, and live for a higher purpose. The messages crystalize around the person and work of Jesus Christ and provide hope and direction in a world that is filled with confusion and broken dreams.

This is the Day is especially geared for student-athletes and young people. Some readers may not agree with all of Tim’s theology but they will walk away motivated and encouraged to live a meaningful life which glorifies the Lord!

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

Scientism and Secularism – J.P. Moreland (2018)

J.P. Moreland, Scientism and Secularism (Wheaton: Crossway, 2018), 210 pp.

Moreland is typically fair and even-handed in his treatment of scientism. but ultimately argues that scientism has nothing in the way of explanatory power and should be rejected.

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

How Joyful People Think – Jamie Rasmussen (2018)

joyful Jamie Rasmussen, How Joyful People Think (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2018), 184.

“All joy reminds. It is never a possession, always a desire for something longer ago or further away or still about to be,” writes C.S. Lewis. Joy is that illusive quality that all people search for but so few actually discover. Jamie Rasmussen uncovers the biblical rationale such a pursuit in his book, How Joyful People Think. The subtitle captures the essence of his argument: 8 Ways of Thinking That Leads to a Better Life.

Rasmussen argues that joy is a matter of perspective. That is, correct thinking is indispensable as one sets out in pursuit of joy. Simply put, “It involves learning to think as God wants us to think.” How Joyful People Think is an practical exposition, then, of Philippians 4:8 –

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

The eight ways of thinking that lead to a better life are a direct reflection of this verse. Rasmussen applies careful pastoral wisdom and exegetical insight to alert readers to treasure which is summarized in this powerful Scripture:

Whatever is true

Whatever is honorable

Whatever is just

Whatever is pure

Whatever is lovely

Whatever is commendable

If there is any excellence

If there is anything worthy of praise

“Think about these things.” The strength of the author’s argument is his allegiance to Scripture. Readers will be disappointed if they are in search of psychological tips of self-help formulas. Rasmussen is committed to mining the treasure chest of God’s Word and passing the truth to anyone who will listen.

How Joyful People Think is refreshing, encouraging, and has the power to lift the downtrodden, encourage the discouraged, and equip the weak-minded. It is a vivid reminder that joy is not only possible; joy commanded and is found in Christ alone!

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

Biblical and Theological Studies: A Student’s Guide – Michael Wilkins & Erik Thoennes

wilkins Michael J. Wilkins & Erik Thoennes, Biblical and Theological Studies (Wheaton: Crossway, 2018), 127 pp.

Almost thirty-five years ago, I sat in my first undergraduate Bible course. It was a steep uphill climb that involved a whole new vocabulary. Those days were both exciting and daunting. One of the missing pieces of my education was a clear big picture. Michael Wilkins and Erik Thoennnes offer exactly what I needed in the early years of my theological education in their book, Biblical and Theological Studies: A Student Guide.

At the heart of this work is a deep and passionate desire to equip the next generation of Christian leaders. This goal is achieved in a short book that delivers a powerful message. The authors provide an overview of what constitutes a solid and substantial Christian education. Two primary aspects are presented, namely, biblical and theological studies. Six attitudes are commended for anyone who truly desires to grow theologically:

We should study the Bible with fear and worship of God.
We should study the Bible with growing humility about ourselves.
We should study with prayerful dependence on the Holy Spirit.
We should study the Bible with eager expectation to learn much but also expecting to find great mystery and challenges to our thinking.
We should study the Bible with humble obedience.
We should study the Bible with heartfelt gratitude and joy.

These attitudes are the necessary prerequisites for anyone who is truly seeking God and desires a theological education that is transformational. To jettison these attitudes is not an act of foolishness; it is a sign that pride has taken root, which ultimately leads to ruinous results.

Moving forward with the proper foundation, Wilkens and Thoennes guide readers through the theological forest. Along the way, they explain the differences between biblical theology and systematic theology. The journey includes each of the necessary steps that will ultimately lead willing students to the Celestial City.

Biblical and Theological Studies is a basic book. It is also an essential book that should be carefully devoured by undergraduates who have their minds and hearts set on a solid theological education.

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

Reforming Joy – Tim Chester (2018)

chester Tim Chester, Reforming Joy (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2018), 103 pp.

Reforming Joy: A Conversation Between Paul, the Reformers, and the Church Today invites readers on a journey through the book of Galatians. Tim Chester uses the context of the Protestant Reformation as a springboard to unpack two primary themes, namely, faith in Christ and life in the Spirit. These realities provide the necessary fuel that erupts into a mighty reformation of joy.

“The Reformation,” writes Chester “was a rediscovery of joy.” As such, the author sets out to rediscover and also be reformed by the joy which is brimming in the book of Galatians.

The book is brief in length and is organized in five chapters which are summarized below:

How to Hear God’s Voice: The Reforming Joy of Scripture Alone (Galatians 1)
How to Know God’s Approval: The Reforming Joy of Faith Alone in Christ Alone (Galatians 2)
How to Recognize God’s People: The Reforming Joy of Mother Church (Galatians 3-4)
How to Enjoy God’s Love: The Reforming Joy of Adoption (Galatians 4)
How to Do God’s Will: The Reforming Joy of Life in the Spirit (Galatians 5)

Each chapter interacts with Scripture and alerts readers to the pivotal principles of joy. The solas of the Reformation are clearly taught and celebrated. And the gospel is seen throughout. The conclusion of each chapter contains a summary and snapshot of a specific Reformer along with a pertinent citation, which helps bolster and support the given theme.

Reforming Joy accomplishes what it sets out to do. This short volume is packed with truth and life-changing theology that is certain to encourage and equip the people of God.

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