Broken Down House -8/14/09

Book review originally published at: Reading to Know

Friday, August 14, 2009

Broken Down House

Guest review by my favorite brother, Christopher, who has been with us before. Everyone say "howdy!" and be friendly now!


To be honest, I did not know what to expect as I began reading Broken-Down House, by Paul David Tripp. I knew the author to be solid, but I simply could not make heads or tails from the title. I am very glad that I had the opportunity to discover this book though.

Broken-Down House is about applying the Christian worldview on a “street level”; in one-on-one relationships and situations. In other words, Mr. Tripp (who is both a licensed Counselor and Pastor) encourages us to see the world and its inhabitants as they really are, using the analogy of a Broken-Down House. Just as houses can fall into disrepair and need extensive remodeling, which can be very difficult to live through, likewise this world in which we reside is broken by sin and is presently being restored by God, its owner. Living through the remodel though, is not too much fun.

What does this mean for us? It means first that we must be aware of our own need to have our brokenness healed by the grace of God. It means that we need to put our hope and confidence not on other broken people, but in the God and Savior whose transforming grace has the power to restore us, our families, and this whole world to a state of joy on this earth and eventually to a place of everlasting bliss with Him.

In fact, I don't know that I've ever read anything better on the nature and power of grace. Here is a taste of what Mr. Tripp has to say about it:

“So grace is a story and grace is a gift. It is God's character and it is your hope. Grace is a transforming tool and a state of relationship. Grace is a theology and an invitation. Grace is an experience and a calling. Grace will turn our life upside down while giving you a rest you have never known. Grace will onvenience you of your unworthiness without ever making you feel unloved.

Grace will make you acknowledge that you cannot earn God's favor, and it will remove your fear of not measuring up to His standards. Grace will confront you with the fact that you are much less than you thought you were, even as it assures you that you can be far more than you had ever imagined. Grace will put you in your place without ever putting you down.”

A strong emphasis in the book is that, once we have come to grasp our own nature and the state of the world we're in, the next step is to move forward ready to minister. And the ministry pictured is not a limited one, but a life-wide ministry that encompasses every relationship and every vocation we will ever be engaged in. The whole world is in need of repair, and if we have Christ then we have exactly what this world needs if it is to be salvaged.

I would recommend this book to Christians of 20+ years, who are perhaps a little bit road-weary with life and need to be re-energized with a vision for how they can move forward. Not that anyone couldn't benefit from the book, but I think people in that situation would find it most helpful.

The Betrayal: Book Review -8/31/09

Click Here to See the Original Review: Reading to Know

Monday, August 31, 2009

The Betrayal

Review by Christopher, seminary student extroadinare, husband, father and a really good brother (who has good tastes in books, what can I say?).

In The Betrayal: A Novel on John Calvin, author Douglas Bond has sought to bring to life the world and experiences of the great Protestant Reformer John Calvin, as seen through the eyes of a (fictional) antagonist who is at the same time the protagonist and narrative voice of the novel. Published this year to coordinate with the 500th anniversary of Calvin's birth, I was excited to read this book and found much that was satisfying in it.

The author sets the historical stage with detailed accounts of the spread of the Black Plague through Calvin's hometown of Noyon, France and, later in the novel, of the persecutions that befell Protestants in Paris. Because of these compelling renderings of gruesome events, I would not recommend the novel for young readers. It is instead accurately categorized by the publisher as “Adult Historical Fiction”.

More than anything else, the book is hallmarked by its historically accurate rendering of Calvin's life and personality. Weaving the story with flashes of excitement – such as Calvin's flight from Paris when the Crown sought to capture and kill him – Mr. Bond introduces us to the sober, godly, caring, and kind heart of the man who is all too often lost in debates about the doctrine named for him. John Calvin the man is someone we could all benefit from knowing, and the author of The Betrayal affords us that opportunity.

Seeking to keep the dialogue as faithful as possible to the historical context and persons involved, Mr. Bond has culled most of the repartee from Calvin's published works and personal letters. (At the end of the novel there is a helpful “Guide to Further Reading” which lists the primary sources from which Mr. Bond drew the dialogue for various subjects.) This works fairly well for the majority of the novel, but the weakness of that method is made somewhat evident in the early portion which records Calvin's childhood. Though all the records show Calvin was a brilliant student from his youth, the dialogue still comes off as stilted when you realize that preteen Calvin is being quoted as saying what he would actually write when he was in his twenties or older.

While much light has been (justly) shown on Martin Luther's life and walk with the Lord, much less has been said or published about Calvin's personal experiences on a popular level. This novel helps to fill that gap and does so well. I found The Betrayal to be an enjoyable and rewarding read, and hope that you will as well.

***
If you'd like to do a little more indepth reading on Calvin, see Christopher's review of Calvin in the Public Square.

Just Do Something -7/27/09

This is a book review done by Christopher and published at 'reading to know' blog site. to see the original post click here.

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2009

Just Do Something

******

In Just Do SomethingA Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will, author and pastor Kevin DeYoung has given the Body of Christ a useful guide to understanding what God expects of us, and what we should expect of ourselves, as we seek to make life decisions. I personally was very blessed and refreshed as I read the book. In fact, at this point my wife has now read the book, my Mom has read it, we have quoted from it extensively to our friends on various occasions, and we are purchasing additional copies of it to give away to folks as we have opportunity.

It is clear that the author is writing with a Pastor’s heart. There is no heavy-handedness here; no pushy theology, simply the encouragement and prodings of shepherd who has seen too many sheep sitting idly in green pastures, distracted by a haze of spirituality and not seeing the lush provision they’re right in the middle of. Filled with clear reasoning, practical examples, and sound exegesis, Just Do Something encourages you exactly as the title suggests, to get out there and walk in God’s will instead of waiting around for it to walk up and smack you in the face.

I do have to warn you that Pastor DeYoung does have a sense of humor, and good dose of sarcasm to boot. You’re not going to walk away from this book with the warm fuzzies. Let me give you one of my favorite quotes as an example:

“I’ll never forget my poor beleaguered roommate talking with me after he took a risk and told a nice young lady that he liked her. They went on a long walk. He was pretty sure that she would reciprocate his declaration of affection. But it turned out she wasn’t interested. She was a sweet girl, a good Christian. She didn’t mean to have bad theology. But instead of just saying “I’m not interested” or “I don’t like you” or “Quit stalking me” or something, she went all spiritual on him. “I’ve been praying a lot about you,” she demurred, “and the Holy Spirit told me no.” “No?” my confused roommate asked. “No… never,” she replied.

Poor guy – he got rejected, not only by this sweet girl, but by the Holy Spirit. The Third Person of the Trinity took a break from pointing people to Jesus to tell this girl not to date my roommate…

Whether it’s the Holy Spirit saying “No, never” or Jesus apparently wanting some guy to “date” a myriad of girls at every campus, God’s will is frequently employed as an excuse for difficult relationship decisions.”

You get the idea. Just Do Something is a call for Christians to take responsibility, and to seek God’s will for their lives with the right motives and the right expectations. I would recommend it for all Christians, but especially for those who are facing a major life decision and are wondering where God will lead them. If you choose to read this book, I pray that God will bless it to your encouragement and joy.

*****