The Mighty Weakness of John Knox

The Mighty Weakness of John Knox

By: Douglas Bond

The Pastor’s Monthly Book Selection – December, 2016

Monthly Book Suggestion Dec 2016While not an in-depth biography of this Scottish reformer, The Mighty Weakness of John Know offers a compelling glimpse into the motivation and spiritual strength of this man of God. Though he was short in stature and often weak in body, Knox was instrumental in bringing the Reformation to Scotland. Fearing God rather than man or monarch, Knox was divinely enabled to withstand persecution, imprisonment and exile while preaching, writing, and praying in order to call Scotland to Christ.

This short work is a testimony to a man whose main desire was to see God glorified and worship in all of life. I highly recommend Douglas Bond’s enjoyable read to those who wish to see how God can use our weaknesses to bring about His mighty purposes.

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Ordinary Men Called By God, James Montgomery Boice

Ordinary Men Called By God

By: James Montgomery Boice

The Pastor’s Monthly Book Selection – November, 2016

Monthly Book Suggestion November 2016It is so easy to picture the men and women of Scripture as larger than life characters with whom we have very little in common. When doing that, we often rob ourselves of understanding how God works with ordinary believers to accomplish His redemptive purposes in the world. In Ordinary Men Called By God, Dr. James Boice uses the lives of Abraham, Moses and David to demonstrates how God’s effectual call on an individual equips the person to serve Him even through failures and weakness. The author points out that contrary to how the world views success, those who are humble before the Lord find spiritual victory through the grace of God. This is a practical book for practical Christians.

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The Truth Of The Cross, R. C. Sproul

The Truth Of The Cross

By: R. C. Sproul

The Pastor’s Monthly Book Selection – October, 2016

Monthly Book Suggestion October 2016R.C. Sproul has written this helpful book on the atonement of Jesus Christ that is both informative and inspiring. Each chapter explains a different aspect of the atonement while showing the cross as the centerpiece of our salvation. Although there have been numerous great works written on this topic, many of them are either very lengthy or were penned in a style that is outdated to today’s reader. In 167 pages, this short book is an easy read that can be used for a devotional or to give to another Christian, wishing to have a better understanding of the significance of the cross of Christ. The final chapter includes numerous helpful questions and answers that are frequently asked in any discussion on the atonement. I recommend this fresh look at a timeless and important doctrine of the Faith

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All Things For Good, Thomas Watson

All Things For Good

By: Thomas Watson

The Pastor’s Monthly Book Selection – September, 2016

September 2016 bookUsing as his foundational text Rom.8:28,“All things work together for good to them that love God…”, the Puritan pastor Thomas Watson published this short work with the intent of making “the godly joyful.” Knowing that Christians can face discouragement when their lives are interrupted with troubles, the author hoped to lift the reader’s spirits by describing how “their crosses shall be turned into blessings” and that their “afflictions water the root of grace to make it flourish”. Watson actually wrote this book to be read “now and then” or in bits and pieces as medicine for our souls. I highly recommend this insightful little work for those wanting to capture the joy of knowing that, in the Lord’s grace, all things do work together for good to them that love God.

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Born Again, By: Charles Colson

Born Again

By: Charles Colson

The Pastor’s Monthly Book Selection – July, 2016

Monthly Book Suggestion July 2016After quoting from Charles Colson’s memoir, Born Again in a sermon and shortly thereafter hearing a colleague quote from the same book, I thought it might be a good idea to recommend this for reading.

Although the events of the early 1970’s may seem like ancient history to many, the conversion story of Charles Colson is a timeless account of the power of the gospel to change lives. As the Chief Counsel for President Nixon, Colson had reached the pinnacle of worldly power only to be brought low by scandal and corruption before encountering the saving power of the cross. Born Again is the personal testimony of how Jesus Christ transforms the human heart and turns sinners into saints. I recommend this work for its historical content as well as the powerful spiritual message it proclaims.

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A Short Life Of Jonathan Edwards, George M. Marsden

A Short Life Of Jonathan Edwards

By: George M. Marsden

The Pastor’s Monthly Book Selection – June, 2016

Monthly Book Suggestion June 2016What to read on summer vacation? … George Marsden is considered to be possibly the foremost living authority on Jonathan Edwards. His recent work, A Short Life Of Jonathan Edwards, is a nice introduction to the life and times of this important figure from colonial America. By weaving the life of Edwards together with insights about contemporary figures, such as Benjamin Franklin and George Whitefield, the author presents a fascinating picture of the religious, social, and political landscape that lead up to the American Revolution and laid the groundwork for an evangelical tradition that continues to this day. In 145 pages Marsden offers a quick and enjoyable read about the man that many believe was the greatest theologian in American history. I highly recommend this as a book that may inspire as well as challenge the reader’s presuppositions about Christianity in America.

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Where Is God?: A Personal Story of Finding God in Grief and Suffering

Where Is God?: A Personal Story of Finding God in Grief and Suffering

By: John S. Feinberg

The Pastor’s Monthly Book Selection – May, 2016

bookmay2016Originally released under the title Deceived By God?: A Journey Through Suffering, author and theologian John Feinberg updated and re-released this account of the struggle faced by him and his wife upon her diagnosis of Huntington Chorea. Although Feinberg wrestles with the hard questions that arise when tragedy strikes, he also relates the continuing faithfulness of God in all circumstances. The author includes observations of ministry that are useful for people who wish to encourage and walk with those facing troubling ordeals. I recommend this book for people trying to make sense of God’s will as well as those seeking greater insight on how to minister to the hurting.

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Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms, by John Calvin

Heart Aflame: Daily Readings from Calvin on the Psalms

By: John Calvin

The Pastor’s Monthly Book Selection – April, 2016

Book Suggestion April 2016Many people have heard of John Calvin, claim to adhere to his theology, and either malign him or embrace him as a reformer and theologian. Yet, many of those same people have never read Calvin. The reason for that is understandable. He was one of the most prolific writers of the Protestant Reformation. Simply knowing where to begin can be a daunting task. In Heart Aflame, Presbyterian & Reformed Publishers have compiled a delightful array of meditations from Calvin’s commentary on the Psalms and placed it in a format for daily devotional reading. Working his way through the Psalms, Calvin gives insight into the wonder of God and the outworking of our relation with Him. I highly recommend this devotional by a man that believed the Psalms to be “An anatomy of all parts of the soul.”

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A Faith Worth Sharing, C. John Miller

A Faith Worth Sharing

By: C. John Miller

The Pastor’s Monthly Book Selection – February, 2016

Book Suggestion February 2016A Faith Worth Sharing was the last book written by John (Jack) Miller before he went home to be with the Lord. It is an encouraging and challenging set of accounts focusing on Jack’s own development as a witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. The author takes us through his own personal journey as he learned what it meant to share the good news of his Savior by stepping into the lives of others and finding the need for God’s grace in his own struggles. Although Jack Miller became a pastor and seminary professor, he found that he had lost sight of the joy of knowing Christ and had become more of a joyless pharisee than a joyful child of God. This short volume relates how the gospel not only restored a man who had become prideful, critical and disillusioned, but it reveals how all Christians can experience a spiritual refreshment by embracing the marvelous grace of God. I highly recommend this book as an encouragement in our spiritual journey.

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