Books I wish I had read at the beginning of my ministry

I am nearly at the end of Charles Haddon Spurgeons book "lectures to my students" On virtually every page I find myself saying "I wish I had read this when I first started out as a preacher I would not have made so many gaffes"...... Which then lead me to thinking "what are the books that have really influenced my life, other than the Bible?" The first 4 were easy, and I list them here and why they influenced me so much. The books that follow are in no particular order but everyone of them I would heartily recommend to a a follower of Jesus.

Number 1 Would be "Desiring God" I first read this book as an open theist suffering with depression as a result of working most days a16-18 hour day, spending hours in prayer and fasting three days a week. You see my theology was fueling how I lived and a theology that puts the future of Gods Kingdom in our hands requires works. So I was seeking through my works to bring in Gods kingdom here on earth. Two years out of Bible College I was burned out,and in spiritual depression.

A friend of mine first handed me John Pipers book the Pleasures of God back in 1991. As I read it I threw the book across the room on several occasions as I wrestled with John Pipers Calvinism. The chapter on Gods pleasure in Election made me scream with anger. However, the weight of his exegesis, his love of the lost and his passion for God and missions were infectious. It was hurting me to kick against the goads. The references to His book Desiring God awakened in me a desire to read the book....... And then the adventure began, as this tired, weary, Christian weighed down with the burden of human responsibility melted under the Gospel of Grace. The Majesty of God in Christ burst into my soul and it was as if I came alive alive with glorious God centred truth.

CS Lewis said "we read to know that we are not alone" and as I read on I realised the my insatiable desire for the things of God was good!!! I was not alone! My desire to indulge myself in the greatness of God was a good thing. Then I discovered that the greatest expression of this worship was mission. Man my very reason for being alive was answered and the fuel for my christian life was found.

So why would I recommend this book so highly? Basically because it makes everything right... Why am I alive, how should I live, how do I relate to God, why do we have the Bible, why pray, why mission........ inside these pages is fuel for the Christian life, take it read it and apply it.. I read this book first nearly 18 years ago it's pages are still alive to me today.

2. Knowing God JI Packer.... Who is God, What is God like, What is the Gospel, these are the big big issues in the Universe and this book gives you beautiful God centred reasoned answers. I think it was in this book that I finally grasped the Gospel in all it's beauty and what God had done for me in the person of Christ in hanging on the Cross for me... A must read for every Christian.

3. The Holiness of God RC Sproul..
I first met this book as a series of teaching on Video. I will always remember as I saw this masterful Bible Teacher embracing this subject in such a devotional way. RC Sproul adores the Divine he is of an era of men who have bathed themselves in the teachings and writings of the Puritans and it comes out as he teaches. The modern trend today is to remove from the Bible all that is offensive to our culture in the name of relevance. We like a cuddly fluffy Jesus but we don't want a Holy God who is other than and above and unlike us because we have made ourselves little Gods. RC debunks that and puts man where he belongs under the eye of an all Holy God. Why do we need this book so badly? To keep us on track with who God really is and what we are really like.. again a must read.

Fourth and lastly for this edition of this blog "The Glory of Christ" by Peter Lewis. Jesus Christ is the focus of all of creation, the risen one at the centre of the throne who has bought humanity into the divine realm, to whom is due all praise honour glory and power. There are not enough words to describe who Christ is. However in terms of Christology you would be pushed to better Peter's extensive and painstaking work here. Getting our Christology right as Gospel people is paramount and Peter helps us to do so. This is a rich meal like the others, and this book is best chewed a chapter at a time.

Happy Reading

Reformed and Gracious?

Reformed and Gracious?

Over recent years a string of controversies have rumbled on around subjects such as the Authority of Scripture especially hermeneutical method, the Atonement, Justification, the nature of Hell, and the uniqueness of Christ. Some of these subjects are not new ones they have rumbled on for years. But writers such as Brian MacLaren, Rob Bell and others have brought these issues into Evangelicalism. Behind them stand Theologians who would call themselves Evangelical but might not necessarily call themselves Reformed.
Often I find myself agreeing with the questions that some of the Emergent writers are posing. At times I feel their tone towards Evangelicals is harsh and unkind and in fact judgemental. However I would say that in turn we engage in polemics in an ungracious manner and so consequently lose the moral war.
So I wonder if there is a way to be polemically gracious? I have some great friends of other denominations who hold to some doctrines that I believe border on heresy, they know my position and yet I consider their friendship and remonstrance a blessing.
For the following reasons:
1. I believe that the reformers position of sola scriptura is the only possible one to take as when we mix reason and tradition with it as my Anglican friends do we end up in confusion, compromise and the lowest common denominator to retain unity.
2. Having said that I place Unity as of greater importance than my corner on truth. At the heart of unity must be an attitude of humility and a desire to listen to others for the light of Christ to break forth.
3. I’m always nervous of camps they tend to be small minded in their thinking, ungracious in attitude and low on humility. If as reformed Christians we are saying we preach a Gospel of free Grace then surely in their somewhere there must be a heart for unity and a gracious attitude to other Christians.
4. I believe in a Big Holy Sprit who has a habit of braking out in the most unusual places among unusual people in very unusual ways. Heresy hunters will often be quick to condemn these moves of God and sadly at times they miss the sovereign workings of God.
There are huge issues at stake in some of the modern debates…… Sola Scriptura at times lays trampled in the dirt, precious truths like imputation of righteousness and substitutionary atonement are sideswiped in drive by reconstruction. There is even a re-tweeking of Romans in Brian’s latest book……It seems that reformed Christians find themselves fighting for the faith once delivered to the saints (that will get deconstructed and challenged) like never before. Our tone is becoming more and more polemical and sadly our postural tone more and more proud and at times brash.

So can we play nicely?

Enjoying Him Forever

Struggling with Double Bubble !

I have been wrestling with this Text for the last couple of days. It has been the struggle of many a Christian for many many years.

The other day in debate with an Arminian friend of mine. His issues around predestination and election were mainly philosophical around the justice of God.

I began to argue the case for predestination that from a universally sinful world born in and with a depraved nature God has chosen from among them purely on the basis of free grace a people for his glory to be awakened to the Glory of Christ and saved from sin and it's eternal consequences... I then went on to argue against the doctrine of double predestination...... Until in my Bible readings I hit this text.

[22] What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, [23] in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— [24] even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? [25] As indeed he says in Hosea,

“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
[26] “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”
(Romans 9:22-26 ESV)

Man this gives me a problem because contrary to what I said the Bible seems to be saying something totally diferrent.

My Arminian friends will bat this into the realm of foreknowledge and omniscience.
However I believe in the Sovereignty of God in Creation and this verse poses me great difficulties around justice........ But who am I to call God to justify Himself. How can the creature say to the creator I am your judge. Who am I to say to the potter shall you not do what you will with the World and yet be totally just and loving in your actions.

Anyone got any good books on this the can reccomend ?