A Graceful Consideration of Grace

In continuing the Truth About Series, John MacArthur tackles a much discussed but little understood tenet of Grace – in this second installment of the three part series.  At times, he adopts a historical lens while at other times he incorporates a theological lens.  Regardless of the approach, this book serves as a solid primer for any believer that wishes to gain a better understanding of God’s grace (including common, special, and sovereign).

MacArthur’s short book focuses on the salvific aspects of grace and, in doing so, offers a rather interesting interpretation of “grace by faith alone” (Ephesians 2:8-9).  His interpretation is not new, but he states it in such a simple to understand manner – grace is the work of God and, without grace, there cannot be faith.  As he says on page 18, “Salvation only comes when we receive by faith the gift of God’s grace.”  It is all about Him and His work that we, in turn, accept.  Without His grace, I would not have faith.

Later on, MacArthur takes on those that promote an easy belief mentality or the “seeker sensitive” approach.  In discussing the grace of God, he shows how God has done all the work but that, like the apostle James says so clearly, our works should reveal the work of grace in our heart.  He packs his work with Scripture after Scripture, which is the foundation of all of his books – the truth that we need in our lives can only be found in God’s Word. 

Someone may want to offer a criticism that he continually references the same passages over and over.  I do not view that as a problem because the Scripture is powerful in its tenets.  For instance, MacArthur constantly goes to Romans 6:1 to attack those that say the following:  since we already have grace, we can sin as much as we want because it cannot diminish God’s grace.  This belief slides into a “no lordship” idea of salvation because, if there is no lord, we can live as we desire.  Such a belief reveals a woeful misunderstanding of the power of grace in justification and sanctification.

Simply put, this second part of the Truth About Series is a must read because there is so much to these 105 pages.  While it does not offer a lengthy manuscript discussing the depths of grace, it sure does break complexity down into simplicity.  My suggestions are simple – get it, read it, and grow from it.  After reading the book, go back a second time and circle all the Scriptural reference; and then, spend time just reading and meditating upon them.  

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Life that Should be Filled by "Days with Jesus"

Before launching into my review of Jim Jackson’s book Days with Jesus, I need to offer full disclosure – I have not yet purchased this book and did not receive it from any publisher websites. The author found my book review blog and asked that I read and review a PDF version of the book, which, obviously, I agreed to do. Without giving away too much of what will be said below, I do want anyone reading this review to know that I have placed my order for an actual copy of the book.

Jackson tells any readers that his book is a little different because he references it as a “docuvotional.” The author offers short sections to be read on a daily basis – a devotional – while also using it (along with videos on his website) to provide historical, cultural, philosophical, and social context to the events of the selected Gospel account – the documentary.

He purposefully selected the Gospel of John for this intimate look at Jesus Christ. As a trained historian, I would have selected Luke’s account because he utilized eyewitness accounts and placed them in the proper order (Luke 1:1-5). Jackson, however, took a different approach and simply explained his rationale – John was one of the inner circle of disciples and is referenced as the “one whom Jesus loved.” Thus, Jackson wanted the details of this individual who was directly there during the ministry and did not forsake his Lord during the crucifixion. It is one thing to piece together a historical account but another to write the direct biography from personal experience.

The format of the manuscript makes it easy to read by the utilization of humor; yet that format, at times, was where I struggled. For instance, I thought the chunks were too big to gain a deeper understanding of the passages. The author’s subtitle says “Part 1;” so we know other pieces are coming – just not how many. Not understanding the exact intent (is this going to be 2 books or 3), I am somewhat perplexed in what to say. Although I did not write the book, I can see this being a wonderful tool in the hands of a believer; so I would love to see this stretch to at least a 90 day “docuvotional.”

There is also a “FYI” section all the way at the end of the book, and the reader is keyed into more information through the use of an asterisk (*). I am the type of person that reads the footnotes of every book, so I would love to have seen this information at the bottom of the page rather than all the way in the back. Also, some of the info in the FYI section did not really add to the understanding of the concepts but was more about interjecting humor (i.e. the Jesus steak recipe…which was quite good!). This section needed a direct tie into the examination of “days” or it should have been stricken totally.

With my format criticism out of the way, let’s turn to the work itself. I can summarize my thoughts in this statement: the more I read, the more I liked it. His use of realistic examples resonates well with any reader and ties them into the specific passage. This easy-to-read language overcame the fact that the book started a bit slowly. Jackson then hammered home some tremendous points. In fact, look at this succinct statement of the God we serve – “While men want the pomp, power, and prestige that come with taking the presidency of a country or becoming CEO of a company, the God of the universe gets the unglamorous title of Lamb” (page 13). I will be using quite a bit of his commentary in my up and coming series for the Bible class I teach at church.

The author also has the ability to turn a short phrase with complex meanings. On page 19, he summarizes, in one sentence, what Mark Batterson spent an entire book discussing in his book Wild Good Chase – “Following God is serious business, but it is not seriously boring.” How true! God has promised to be there every step of the way on this adventure that will bring Him glory and honor. We make it through the serious journey and the frenetic pace by spending Days with Jesus.

I have been a Christian for quite some time but learned a great deal about the cultural context of this Gospel account, and those contextual frameworks add wonderful relevance to the words of Jesus. As an example, look at day 24 entitled “When the Son Shines.” Jackson points out that Jesus, in John 8:12, would have been speaking during the “lighting of the lamps” at the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles. The location of the Temple meant that this area would have been lighted for the entire city to observe. Thus, Jesus’ words on broadcasting light throughout the world gained additional significance through the immediate word picture at hand.

In rating Days with Jesus, I waffled between 3.5 and 4.0 stars. I did go with the 4 stars due to the novel “docuvotional” and the common sense language used throughout. Unfortunately, many Biblical works use scholarly tones written for Biblical academicians but that is not the case in Days with Jesus. As a reviewer, I can state with absolute certainty that you must check out the website videos that accompany many of the days. In doing so, you will come to understand how and why these short vignettes pushed me over the edge to the 4 star rating. You can find them at www.dayswithjesus.com.

The book is sound Biblically and can serve as a wonderful resource for discipleship ministries with new believers; so follow my example and get a copy. Clearly, the thoughts of Jackson can assist new Christians learn and grow while also adding additional context for more mature Christians. In conclusion, my title says it all – our lives should be filled by Days with Jesus. Those chosen Days with Jesus, along with this book, are an eternal worthy investment.

The Truth about the Lordship of Christ

I have often criticized smallish theological books for their size. Typically, I have equated light with shallow because some of the deeper conversations were omitted from the manuscript thus leading to the smaller work. Well, that criticism cannot be levied against John MacArthur's The Truth About the Lordship of Christ. In this instance, mini means mighty. In taking the lead on topics of truth in a society built upon relativism, MacArthur has created "The Truth About" series. The series is currently comprise of three books -- the lordship of Christ, grace, and forgiveness -- and my sincerest desire is that many more will be forthcoming. Technically speaking, the book on grace was the first installment of the trilogy; however, I believe the lordship of Christ must be the centerpiece of the series. After all, if you do not believe in the lordship of Christ, the offer of grace from His sacrifice on the cross will not matter to you. MacArthur does not provide a flowery or catchy introduction for the reader. He opens with three provocative sentences: (1) Christians have many reasons to rejoice, (2) God's sovereignty over all things it the major one, and (3) His sovereignty is the most significant truth about God in all of Christianity. There's no fluff in those statements and he has immediately launched into the truth about His lordship. Later in this opening chapter, he brings in tough matters and ultimately resolves them with philosophical simplicity: if you believe in God's sovereignty, then you recognize your own simplicity; so, since God's ways are higher than your ways, you must trust in Him and His lordship. The progression of the work is natural: Lordship of the universe and then our lives. This lordship in our lives leads to several present factors (daily submission, holy living, confession, and restoration) and a future reality -- the ultimate destination of an eternity with God. Clearly, the thoughts are well-reasoned, clearly defined in Scripture, and provocative. My favorite quote from the book overlaps pages 32 and 33: "spiritual passion is not the norm. The norm is not to let Christianity disrupt your lifestyle. If you follow that, your spiritual temperature will drop and you'll become apathetic." In those short sentences, he has diagnosed the problem with modern Christianity that the title of the book (Lordship of Christ) can quickly resolve. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

He Chose the Nails

He Chose the Nails, by Max Lucado (LUH-KAY-DO….read the book and you’ll understand the pronunciation assistance) has produced a rather interesting look at Christ’s death. He unpacks the different elements of the crucifixion – the nails, crown of thorns, garments, ridicule, etc. – and explains their importance for the Christian. He digs into the minutiae of the event which we are guilty of overlooking due to familiarity with the story. I enjoyed this read because Lucado has a wonderful gift of turning a nice phrase – what I call a “snippet statement” – and that ability forces them into your memory. As an example, read chapter 14 because this entire chapter is one of these “snippet statements.” These wonderful phrases are the delight of the book and reveal his ability to convert complexity into simplicity. My only complaint is the size of the book. As quotable as Lucado is, I would love to have seen more depth in the analysis of these implements. Bringing in historical context of these items would have added much more to his overall goal. The book is only 151 pages, but it, in fact, is much less. The actual text starts on page 3. Further, the transition between chapters takes at least 2 pages (and sometimes 3); therefore, the actual text, with its 15 pages, hovers around 120 pages. I do understand this was a light treatment, but I simply craved more depth because the author piqued my interest. I do like how the book was ended – with study questions for each chapter. These allow the reader to dig further into Scripture and to go beyond what Lucado placed into his short chapters. Overall, the book is accessible, easy to read, interesting, and worth your efforts at reading. It will take you no time at all to breeze through He Chose the Nails; however, I suggest two readings. The first would be a quick read to cover the breadth of the book. The second read, however, should be more deliberate and slow. I encourage you to use this as a 15 day devotional prior to Easter and to couple it with the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Pertinent Philosophy on the Presence of Providence

Before launching into a review of Mitch Stokes’ A Shot of Faith to the Head, I must first confess some intrinsic bias. I have graduate and undergraduate degrees in history and, in both instances, minored in European Intellectual History. I present that information for one reason – this type of philosophy manuscript rests squarely within my “wheelhouse” or area that I enjoy reading. Typically, defenses of belief in God tend to become overly deep and are inaccessible by most Christians; or, in other words, they are written for the Christian intellectuals or philosophers. Stokes has NOT done that with his brilliant book. I have several words that can be used to describe A Shot of Faith to the Head: scholarly, delightful, witty, deep, enthralling, genuine, and powerful. He has the ability to breakdown a complex subject into terms that allows an everyday Christian to arm themselves against supposed rational attacks against irrational belief in God. Stokes tackles opposition by atheists through a unique scaffolding approach. Instead of writing long chapters, he chunks them into smaller divisions that can be read and reread without much time. Each short section advances and argument that the next chapter builds upon. As an aside, I do suggest that you start reading at the beginning to fully feel the force of his philosophy at the end. Stokes' scaffolding reveals he has the heart of a teacher and the mind of an intellectual. Teachers want to make sure that students know, understand, and do what has been provided while intellectuals desire the advancement of particular complexities. He accomplishes both in this wonderful read. One of the grand parts of his work is at the end of every chapter. Stokes has a short section entitled “For Your Arsenal.” The author provides short bullet summaries of the major ideas in that chapter. These allow a reader to access the vital ideas and review. Further, if the book has been set aside for some time, one simply needs to reach those scaffolding bullets to remember all that went before. That way, you can quickly jump back into the depths of his analysis. As I blazed through the first section, I began to detect a problem within his philosophy – namely, that he was purely advancing a philosophical thesis for believing in God, thereby, removing God’s grace from the entire scene. That assumption soon proved false due to the dazzling section on pages 55-57. I will not spoil that for you but will say this – he provides one of the most clear and cogent statements for how one will come to believe in God. There is definitively a “wow factor” or “aha moment” here! Quite frankly, I do not like Christian works that advance an author’s thesis that peppers in some Scripture while primarily utilizing neat little stories or quotes from humans. While Stoke utilizes that very format, I can honestly say that I completely overlook that issue. It is rare that I am giddy for books with so little Scripture; however, A Shot of Faith to the Head is a must read for any serious Christian. It will not let you down and you will not be disappointed. As a reader, you will emerge stronger than before with a better understanding of the “basic” tenets of belief in God and the Christian faith (you’ll understand the play on words there after reading it). Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Next Christians has some needed Next Steps

The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons, unfortunately, does not stand up to the quality of the first, major work he produced – unChristian. This book starts off with a bang as he introduces his idea and begins to lay the foundation for the dual choices he presents later. He goes back to that first book and reproduces some of the research on the world’s perspectives of Christians. He does provide a harrowing forecast for Christianity in our modern times because, for the most part, Christians have disengaged.

After his opening chapters, he presents a contrast between what “next Christians” (whom he calls “restorers”) should be doing rather than what they are currently doing. Those actions are: (1) provoked, not offended; (2) creators, not critics; (3) called, not employed; (4) grounded, not distracted; (5) in community, not alone; (6) civil, not divisive; and (7) countercultural, not relevant. It is here, within these discussions, that Lyons’ work reveals signs of weakness. I do realize that big name individuals have endorsed his manuscript; however, I hope to clearly outline my objections with opinion and analysis of his arguments.

Before I go on, I highly recommend that anyone struggling with questions of God’s will and their current workplace read chapter 7 very carefully. In my mind, this was the strongest chapter of the book that provided a cogent analysis of our situation. We cannot continue to separate our current occupations from “real ministry” that God has provided. As Lyons says, “work provides the only real contact many Christians have with outsiders” (p 109). That reality is a sad one that must be changed. We cannot be lights in this world (Matthew 5:16) without being in the world.

My major problem begins with his early chapters as he describes the differences between “separatists” and “cultural.” He advocates for a more middle ground and wants “next Christians” to be “restorers.” These individuals take both extremes, merge them together, and make Christianity relevant in our pluralistic and relativistic society. While that sounds great, Lyons seems to be reacting to his stringent upbringing. For instance, he readily and perpetually acknowledges that he grew up in a separatist home and all of his examples swing to the “restorer” or even “cultural” side.

In one of his examples for a restorer, he concedes that the positive example may have made “unjustifiable compromise” and that separatist concerns may be “valid” (p 88). Those very statements undercut his argument for this individual being a restorer. Remember, restorers are the middle ground; however, that example seems to indicate Lyons advocates for more cultural solutions instead of those advanced by separatists. Maybe I am reading too much into this particular example, but it fits the pattern that his personal pendulum may have swung from separatist to cultural.

Another issue that I noted is with chapter 6 – Creators, not Critics. This chapter was incoherent, weak, and thoroughly disappointing. He opens with the mention of some cultural magazine named Paste that is supposedly run by two Christians. Other than discussing the topics covered by this print media, he makes no case for how this periodical creates beauty and advances the cause of Christ. Throughout, he uses esoteric terms like beauty and common good but never truly connect them to our purpose in life – glorify God as we live in the redemptive grace He alone provides.

Lyons own example in this chapter 6 creates major problems with this theory. For instance, in detailing the appeal of Paste, he noted they created culture “not by censoring music with questionable lyrics” (p 91). So, this cultural journal glorifies God by including and discussing material that a holy God may consider offensive? Lyons omitted completely any reference to Psalm 101:3 (NIV) that says: “I will set before my eyes no vile thing.” He also fails to consider the implications of Philippians 4:8 (NIV): “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” I cannot know the mind of God, but would questionable lyrics fit the principles advanced in either of those two verses?

My overarching issue with the work is its structure. Christians are to be followers of Jesus; and as a follower of Jesus, I should be consumed by study of His word. Lyons utilizes snippets of Scripture here and there to bolster one of his points. Instead, I wish he would have stated specific Biblical examples and then peppered in the modern, human examples that match the Word of God. For instance, he mentions that Zacchaeus was changed by Jesus and not instructed to change his occupation. Rather, Jesus told him to live as an example within his profession. Where was the detailed analysis of that entire scene that could have bolstered his argument? It was missing other than a few, random lines.

There are some good qualities in this read – like the chapter on employment – and the last several contrasts are quite wonderful. Chapters 7, 8, 10, and 11 are highly relevant and authentic for us to consider. At times, Lyons has a tremendous ability to turn a wonderful phrase. At the end of chapter 6, which I have already unpacked, Lyons has two SUPERB paragraphs. While those thoughts stick with you, the examples he selects detract from them. If I can spend as much time as I did in pointing out my issues of this chapter while having positive things to say about the rest, my suggestion is simple: either rewrite chapter 6 or throw it out altogether.

Despite my reservations, I think it is worth a read to find some of those buried nuggets.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. For additional details, please visit http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 25: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Good Chase but Needs a Tweak

The Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson serves as a solid read for any person struggling with uncertainty and making decisions related to God’s will for their life. Batterson coined a term “inverted Christianity” to reflect the modern worldview - we do not follow God but want Him to follow our dreams and our passions. His solution is nothing new but his approach brings a smile. Batterson references the Celtic word for the Holy Spirit which, when translated into English, means the wild goose. In other words, we need to exchange our penchant for safety and predictability for a spiritual adventure that glorifies God.

To accomplish this task, Batterson discusses 6 cages that we can become trapped within, and those cages serve as the chapters for his book. The six cages are: responsibility, routine, assumptions, guilt, failure, and fear. He describes each in detail and points out the fallacy while also providing some solutions to circumvent then. To conclude the book, he fills the last 3 pages with one-liners that summarizes the previous points. That format is a great way to allow those ideas to “stick.”

Batterson’s overall conclusion is solid. He admonishes us to live every day as if it were our last. Page 170 contains a sobering quote that I have to include in this review. He says that we must “remember, ultimately, it’s not about you. It’s about the One who wants to write His-story through your life.” That change in focus releases anyone from the cages of life as they recognize that God is always in control.

My sole issue rests in the fact that this is a great book with great thoughts but it is “goose light.” Batterson spent a great deal of time dealing with his church and other neat stories, but I would like to have seen a more detailed exegesis of Scripture. If we are supposed to chase God (i.e. the wild goose chase), then should that pursuit not begin and end with His recorded Word to us? He seemed to bring in Scripture where it fit his point rather than operating from the perspective that here is what God’s Word says and now we must apply it in this fashion. While some people may view that as semantics, I do not. If God’s Word, the source of all truth, is the foundation upon which we can base our knowledge of God and our eternal destiny, then it must serve as the pillar of any discussion about chasing God.
Despite my reservation of the format, this is a must read for those wrestling with the direction of their life. I would temper that recommendation by suggesting a detailed read of the Romans!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. For additional details, please visit http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 25: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.