A Call To Spiritual Reformation

Pastor Tim has mentioned this book a couple of times in recent sermons. It is a book by DA Carson on the reformation of our prayer life through a study on the prayers of Paul. Should be on the stand on 10/3 for $12.25.

The Truth of the Cross

Sproul's latest is on the cross. 178 Pages. I haven't read it yet. Let me know if you have.

"The Truth of the Cross is the best book on the cross I have read. It is a 'must' for every church library and a book that I will give away many times to friends. This is so because it is sober (i.e., it contains historically informed reflections on salient biblical texts), sensible (i.e., it is well-argued), simple (i.e., it holds the reader's attention through grabbing illustrations and even a seventh-grader can its substance), and spiritual (i.e., it comes from a heart set ablaze by the Spirit)." — Dr. Bruce K. Waltke, Professor, Reformed Theological Seminary

Polishing God's Monuments

Publisher's Description: Polishing God’s Monuments is the true story of a young woman and her devoted husband who face it all (and then some) as a baffling, mind-boggling illness hijacks their youth and shatters their dreams. Polishing God’s Monuments blends straightforward theology with the account of this young couple’s afflictions. A sober reality in the life of faith is that “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” God’s people are buffeted in two ways: sometimes we suffer for the faith and other times we suffer with faith. Either way, our faith remains a work in progress. In the midst of troubles, our emotions can vacillate between hope and despair, submission and rebellion. Our understanding can alternate between moments of comprehension and times of total confusion. This book confronts these issues head-on and offers believers biblical perspective, practical direction, and sustaining hope.

Joni Eareckson Tada says, "This book doesn't tiptoe around the topic of suffering, but hits head-on the hardest questions we have about the goodness of God and the problem of suffering. Juli's story will shake you as well as inspire you!"

I put two copies of this on the book stand last week. I have not read it. If anybody has read it, I would love to hear your thoughts!

Update 9/27/2007: I have been told by a reader that this is one of the best books they have read in a long time. Tim Challies agrees.

Update 10/3/2007: Placed 5 more copies on the book stand.

The Mark of the Christian

My reading this year has been consumed in large measure by Francis Schaeffer and my soul is the better for it. When ever I need an example of loving people, I take a shot of Schaeffer. We currently have The Trilogy, True Spirituality, and a book by Bryan Follis called Truth with Love: The Apologetics of Francis Schaeffer on the book stand. I hope to say more about those at a future time. Coming to the book stand on Wednesday, 9/26 is the little book by Schaeffer, The Mark of the Christian. What is the mark? Schaeffer says, "Love - and the unity it attests to - is the mark Christ gave Christians to wear before the world. Only with this mark may the world know that Christians are indeed Christians and that Jesus was sent by the Father." Read this to be stirred to this consideration and as a short intro into Francis Schaeffer. 59 pages, $4.50

Reformed Expository Commentaries

The Reformed Expository Commentary Series is a new set of commentaries edited by Richard Phillips and Phillip Ryken. These Reformed commentaries were first preached as sermons before a congregation before being worked into a book. They are thus less technical and more devotional in manner. Their plan is to come out with two commentaries each year until every book in the bible is covered. Now available are Esther & Ruth, Zechariah, Galatians, 1 Timothy, Hebrews and James. I am currently reading with profit Iain Duguid's commentary on Esther & Ruth. James is currently being taught in Sunday School at FCC and Daniel Doriani's James commentary has been noted as helpful.

Here's a taste from Duguid's commentary on Esther. This comes as Duguid comments on the morality of Mordecai's edict to allow "the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, and to plunder their goods." Esther 8:11

"It is important that we see why we are not called to this kind of holy war. It is not because holy war was somehow wrong in its original historical context, or was a sub-christian procedure, unworthy of the followers of Christ. It is not even because holy war seems out of date and old fashioned, a barbarous and uncivilized practice. We have not abandoned holy war simply because we have become modern people and have grown more civilized. Rather, we have abandoned holy war in its Old Testament form because we live in a different era in the history of redemption. We live in the era of the outpouring of grace, in which we fight with spiritual weapons to bring the gospel to the nations, defeating God's enemies by seeing them graciously transformed into His friends. Now we fight with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, which instead of turning live foes into dead corpses can transform dead sinners into live saints. Now we wrestle in prayer, seeking God's enlivening work in the hearts and souls of our friends and neighbors." Iain Duguid, Esther & Ruth, pages 108-109

To find out more read Tim Challies interview with Richard Phillips.

Overcoming Sin & Temptation

I just finished reading Justin Taylor and Kelly Kapic's edited version of John Owen's classic work on Temptation and Sin (Volume 6 of Owen's works). This is no abridgment; it's all here. Below is a list of the editing that Taylor and Kapic provide

• provided overviews of the thesis and arguments for all three books
• footnoted difficult vocabulary words or phrases (at their first occurrence in each book) and collected them into a glossary
• Americanized the British spelling (e.g., behaviour to behavior)
• updated archaic pronouns (e.g., thou to you)
• updated other archaic spellings (e.g., hath to have; requireth to requires)
• updated some archaic word forms (e.g., concernments to concerns, surprisals to surprises)
• corrected the text in places where the nineteenth-century edition incorrectly deviated from the original
• modernized some of the punctuation
• placed Owen’s Scripture references in parentheses7
• added our own Scripture references in brackets when Owen quotes or alludes to a passage but does not provide a reference
• transliterated all Hebrew and Greek words, and provided a translation if Owen didn’t provide one
• translated all Latin phrases that Owen leaves untranslated
• provided sources for quotations and allusions where possible
• removed Owen’s intricate numbering system, which functioned as an extensive outline
• added headings and italics throughout this volume, and extensive outlines of our own at the end, to aid the reader in following the flow of Owen’s thought. Pages 17-18

I started reading this book on July 6th and just finished on September 21st. Reading it was a fairly severe beat down. It is the best help in understanding sin I have read.

The book is made up of 3 individual books, Of Mortification of Sin in Believers, Of Temptation: The Nature and Power of it, and Indwelling Sin. I suggest that you read Indwelling Sin first then on to Mortification and Temptation. It was half way thru Indwelling Sin that I realized I was going to have to read it again; it's that good.

Here's a taste...

Indeed, in opposition unto this deceit lies much of the wisdom of faith and power of gospel grace. When the mind is fully possessed with, and cast habitually and firmly into, the mold of the notion and doctrine of gospel truth about the full and free forgiveness of all sins in the blood of Christ, then to be able to keep the heart always in a deep, humbling sense of sin, abhorrency of it, and self-abasement for it, is a great effect of gospel wisdom and grace. This is the trial and touchstone of gospel light: If it keeps the heart sensible of sin, humble, lowly, and broken on that account—if it teaches us to water a free pardon with tears, to detest forgiven sin, to watch diligently for the ruin of that which we are yet assured shall never ruin us—it is divine, from above, of the Spirit of grace. If it secretly and insensibly makes men loose and slight in their thoughts about sin, it is adulterate, selfish, false. If it will be all, answer all ends, it is nothing. Hence it comes to pass that sometimes we see men walking in a bondage-frame of spirit all their days, low in their light, mean in their apprehensions of grace; so that it is hard to discern whether covenant in their principles they belong unto—whether they are under the law or under grace; yet walk with a more conscientious tenderness of sinning than many who are advanced into higher degrees of light and knowledge than they—not that the saving light of the gospel is not the only principle of saving holiness and obedience; but that, through the deceitfulness of sin, it is variously abused to countenance the soul in manifold neglect of duties, and to draw off the mind from a due consideration of the nature, desert, and danger of sin. John Owen, Indwelling Sin, Pages 301-302

We also have an abridgment of The Mortification of Sin on the FCC bookstand which I have not read but have been told is good
Also, Kris Lundgaard's book, The Enemy Within, which has been studied at FCC in Sunday School, is a meditation on Owen's work on sin. I am looking forward myself to reading this soon.

Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ

John Bunyan is my favorite Puritan, as he his of many. My favorite book of his that I have read thus far is Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ. It is an exposition of John 6:37 "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Oh what a wonderful encouragement this book is for the coming sinner! It is vintage Bunyan, written in a way only he could write.

I got a good deal on these at amazon (Buy 3 get the 4th one free). They should be on the stand on Wednesday, 9/26 for $6.75.

A little taste...

"Object. 4. But, saith another, I am so heartless, so slow, and, as I think, so indifferent in my coming, that, to speak truth, I know not whether my kind of coming ought to be called a coming to Christ.

Answ. You know that I told you at first, that coming to Christ is a moving of the heart and affections towards him.

But, saith the soul, my dullness and indifferency in all holy duties, demonstrate my heartlessness in coming; and to come, and not with the heart, signifies nothing at all.

1. The moving of the heart after Christ is not to be discerned, at all times, by thy sensible affectionate performance of duties, but rather by those secret groanings and complaints which thy soul makes to God against that sloth that attends thee in duties.

2. But grant it to be even as thou sayest it is, that thou comest so slowly, &c., yet, since Christ bids them come that come not at all, surely they may be accepted that come, though attended with those infirmities which thou at present groanest under. He saith, "and him that cometh;" he saith not, If they come sensible; so fast; but, "and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." He saith also in the ninth of Proverbs, "As for him that wanteth understanding," that is, an heart (for oftentimes the understanding is taken for the heart), "come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled."

3. Thou mayest be vehement in thy spirit in coming to Jesus Christ, and yet be plagued with sensible sloth; so was the church when she cried, "Draw me, we will run after thee;" and Paul, when he said, "When I would do good, evil is present with me" (Song 14; Rom 7; Gal 5:19). The works, strugglings, and oppositions of the flesh, are more manifest than are the works of the Spirit in our hearts, and so are sooner felt than they. What then? Let us not be discouraged at the sight and feeling of our own infirmities, but run the faster to Jesus Christ for salvation.

4. Get thy heart warmed with the sweet promise of Christ's acceptance of the coming sinner, and that will make thee make more haste unto him. Discouraging thoughts they are like unto cold weather, they benumb the senses, and make us go ungainly about our business; but the sweet and warm gleads8 of promise are like the comfortable beams of the sun, which liven and refresh. 9 You see how little the bee and fly do play in the air in winter; why, the cold hinders them from doing it; but when the wind and sun is warm, who so busy as they?

5. But again, he that comes to Christ, flies for his life. Now, there is no man that flies for his life, that thinks he speeds fast enough on his journey; no, could he, he would willingly take a mile at a step. O my sloth and heartlessness, sayest thou! "Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest" (Psa 55:6,8).

Poor coming soul, thou art like the man that would ride full gallop, whose horse will hardly trot! Now, the desire of his mind is not to be judged of by the slow pace of the dull jade he rides on, but by the hitching, and kicking, and spurring, as he sits on his back. Thy flesh is like this dull jade; it will not gallop after Christ; it will be backward, though thy soul and heaven lie at stake. 10 But be of good comfort, Christ judgeth not according to the fierceness of outward motion (Mark 10:17) but according to the sincerity of the heart and inward parts (John 1:47; Psa 51:6; Matt 26:41). "

Welcome to the FCC Bookstand Blog

The idea behind this blog is that it might be a way to keep you informed of information regarding new books on the book stand, and a way for me to get feedback on what everybody is reading. The hardest thing about stocking the book stand is seeing all of these great books pass through my hands without being able to read them. Sometimes too, I place a book on the stand that I have recently read that has impacted me. I would love to hear about the books you are reading and the impact they have had on you or about other books that need to be on the stand.

We will see how this goes. If it proves beneficial, I will do my best to keep it updated. If not, it can wither and fade away, and that is fine too.

Nate