By: Archie Parrish

The Pastor’s Monthly Book Suggestion – November, 2019

Every Christian I have ever spoken to about prayer has lamented their inability to pray as diligently as they wish. This is not a dilemma unique to 21^st century Christians. Five hundred years ago, Martin Luther’s barber confessed to the reformer his own struggle with prayer.  As a help to his friend, Luther wrote a small treatise on prayer, which, along with selected insights, has been reproduced by Archie Parrish and introduced by R.C. Sproul.

In this work, Luther offers Peter the barber a simple way to pray using the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Apostles Creed as templates. Having incorporated the wisdom found in this short booklet into my own prayer life, I can highly recommend this to other struggling Christians who seek to develop a stronger prayer life yet find it difficult to do so. Toward the end of the booklet, Parrish offers questions for review that are designed to enable the reader to grasp Luther’s intent and apply the insights in the booklet to his or her own circumstances.

I recommend this book to all who see a need to enhance their prayer life and wish to have it guided by God’s word.

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By: Christopher A. Hall

The Pastor’s Monthly Book Suggestion – September, 2019

While working through our current series on 1 Peter, I became aware of the difference between the apostle Peter’s view of the good life and the 21^st century perspective of the same idea. Technology has changed the way our culture communicates, but the same struggles faced by Christians today were faced by those of the first centuries as well. The early Church was planted and grew in a world where patriotism, war, immorality, and hostility to the gospel competed for people’s allegiance and confronted the ethics of Christianity.

Christopher Hall returns to the world of ancient Rome through the lens of men like Tertullian, Justin Martyr, Cyprian, Chrysostom, Athanasius, and Augustine. While it is most helpful to read the original writings of these Church fathers, time and the sheer volume of literature doesn’t always allow for that. The author does us a great favor by wading through much of the work of these early Christians and offering his scholarly insight into their views on subjects such as persecution, wealth, sexuality, and entertainment.

While I did not agree with every conclusion made by the writer, I was challenged by the early Church’s approach to living as exiles in a world that is foreign to the gospel. Hall’s book is not only fascinating from a historical perspective, but it challenges our 21^st century concept of the Christian life as it applies the wisdom of those who have gone before us to our own struggle of following the precepts of God’s word. I highly recommend this book for those wishing to learn from faithful believers of the past and acquire a better understanding of the historical context of the New Testament and the early Church.

By: R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

The Pastor’s Monthly Book Selection — July, 2019

We often use the Apostles’ Creed to affirm our faith in worship services. Many Christians have learned this ancient creed from an early age. All Bible-believing Christians would uphold the statements of this document. However, some of those same statements are misunderstood by many of the people claiming to believe them. In this fresh work on one of the Church’s earliest confessions, Al Mohler gives us a concise and easy to read commentary that should be helpful to any Christian. I recommend this to parents who desire to train up their children in the foundational truths of the Faith, to anyone involved in teaching small group studies or Sunday school, and to any Christian wishing to understand those vexing statements in the creed such as “He descended into hell/the dead,” “the holy catholic church,” and “the communion of saints.”

The Bruised Reed

By: Richard Sibbes

The Pastor’s Monthly Book Selection – May, 2019

Banner of Truth has republished a marvelous work by the Puritan Richard Sibbes. This piece focuses on the text from Isaiah 42:3 that says, “A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoking flax he shall not quench.” Sibbes’ short treatise is medicine for the weary and battle-worn believer. The author presents Christ to those driven to God by their own failures, encouraging them not to lose hope even when sin and the devil seek to undo them. Dr. Sibbes emphasizes the patience of God who will not forsake His own children, but will willingly fan the smallest spark of grace into a flame that transforms them into the likeness of Christ.

If you are struggling with weakness and in need of great hope, I recommend Richard Sibbes’ wonderful book that will turn your attention to the Christ who is always gentle and compassionate to His own.

Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World

By: Eric Metaxas

The Pastor’s Monthly Book Selection–March, 2019

Eric Metaxas has given us a well-written biography of Martin Luther that avoids many of the misconceptions and legends that have grown up around the man. While neither slandering Luther’s character or painting a picture of a herculean figure, Metaxas has created a work that is balanced, informative, and enjoyable.

This well-researched study draws from recently discovered information that keeps the interest of those who’ve already read previous biographies of Luther. The political and ecclesiastical climate of the day is well-represented so as to clearly demonstrate the need for a reformation within the western church.  The author paints a refreshing portrait of Luther as a thoughtful scholar who is initially timid and respectful of authority but who becomes bold as he grows in his understanding of the God of Scripture. Nevertheless, Luther was no fire-eating reactionary, but a man truly concerned for the souls of his people and the honor of Jesus Christ.

Looking back at the Reformation from the year 2019, it is easy to forget the cost involved for men like Martin Luther. Metaxas reminds the reader that the stand this priest took for the gospel was life-threatening. He was in danger from the papacy, unpopular with many of the secular authorities, and often at odds with his fellow reformers who wanted to take a more radical approach to the situation. For better or worse, the Protestant Reformation changed the political landscape and paved the way for greater individual freedom in the west. Even more important, this movement unleashed the gospel, thereby freeing people from the bondage of ecclesiastical superstitions so that they might embrace the grace of Christ through faith. Although this is a rather lengthy work, I would recommend it to anyone wishing to see the providence of God at work through one of the most momentous events in history.