Monday, December 12, 2016

Allen Raynor Weblog: Recommended Reading from 2016 (Pt. 2) (Dec. 12, 2016)


There are a multitude of books available on prayer and all have some value if read and applied.  However, few books on the subject really get to the heart of the matter.  Timothy Keller’s book Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God is perhaps the best book I have read to date on the subject of prayer.  It is easy to read, yet highly profound.  He draws heavily on the writers of the past such as Augustine, Calvin, Luther, Owen, Edwards, Muller, and many more, while using contemporary illustrations and applications.  Prayer is not an act/work we perform, but rather a way of living.  As we live in close fellowship with God, we work hard to grow closer to Him and Keller covers many ways by which this may be accomplished.

          One of the saddest realities of parenting for many Christians, is to see their children act, in varying degrees, like the prodigal son in Jesus’ parable.  Many parents, and grandparents, weep because one they love, and one who knows better, has succumbed to the allure of the world and its ways.  Many well-meaning parents and grandparents are saying and doing the wrong things as they work to try and remedy the problem.  Sadly, in many cases they are pushing their loved one further away and making the situation worse.  In his very helpful book Reaching Your Prodigal: What Did I Do Wrong?  What Do I Do Now?, author Phil Waldrep explores the pattern in the Lord’s parable and what we can learn and apply to our situation as we long for that day the prodigal returns home.

          Churches are struggling these days when compared with their former glory.  Efforts by some to try and reinvent church have largely failed.  Scripture teaches us to “return to the old paths.”  Further, what seems new is not really so new anyway, after all the wisdom of Solomon taught there is nothing new under the sun.  That is why the church of the Lord Jesus needs to wake up and experience true revival or renewal.  Charles Swindoll’s book Church Awakening: An Urgent Call for Renewal was challenging and enjoyable.  He writes to the church as a whole, as well as to pastors admonishing all to awake and get back to the basic tasks of believers such as exposition of the Word of God, church members being willing to be taught, sharing of our faith, discipleship, ministry, prayer, etc.  We have been seriously adrift for some time and we need to wake up!

          I enjoyed reading Thom Rainer’s latest book Who Moved My Pulpit? Leading Change in the Church.  This is a quick read with some good insight.  There is not a lot of new information in addition to what you would find in other books on the subject by Rainer, but it was helpful and, at points, entertaining.  I also re-read and taught through his book I Will: 9 Traits of the Outwardly Focused Christian. It also, is well worth your time to read.

          John Piper has been one of my favorite authors for many years.  His depth helps me understand many subjects with more clarity.  His book Living in the Light: Money, Sex, and Power: Making the Most of Three Dangerous Opportunities shows the dangers of how these three alluring areas tend to trap us.  We have fallen for many lies and we have learned ways to rationalize our sins.  Satan distorts God’s gifts.  He cheapens them and makes them dirty and tells us we are not satisfied with the limits God has prescribed.  Piper helps the reader see, from the Scripture the goodness of God in these areas in a fresh way, as well as helping the reader face areas in his/her life that are not as pure as one might think.

          American education has undergone many major and minor changes over time.  But one thing is very clear.  God was once the centerpiece and now is out entirely.  Up until around the year 1900, The New England Primer was widely used to help teach children to read and understand the basics.  One will be amazed at, not only the saturation with references to God, but also the significantly more rigorous academic expectations of children and their learning.  This inexpensive book should be obtained and read by everyone, as we need to see how far we have drifted.

          This past spring I taught through the Book of Esther on Sunday evenings.  It was my third time to do so in the course of my years in ministry.  Among the commentaries and related books I used, which I would recommend, are The Message of Esther by J. A. Motyer from “The Bible Speaks Today Commentary Series.” Charles Swindoll’s book Esther: A Woman of Strength & Dignity from his “Great Lives from God’s Word” series, was also a great help.  The Queen and I: Studies in Esther by Ray Stedman shed a lot of light on the book for me.  The one however I would say do not miss when studying the book is Inconspicuous Providence: The Gospel According to Esther by Bryan R. Gregory.  This thoughtful and well-written book gives a tremendous background, and great insight throughout concerning God’s master plan.

          I greatly enjoyed preaching through the Book of Jonah during the summer of 2016.  This is the second time I have preached through the book in my ministry, but the first time I did not go into a lot of depth.  However, this time I took my time and spent 9 weeks.  Truly this book is a treasure trove that sheds a lot of light on several different truths such as God’s compassion, God’s forgiveness, God’s long-suffering nature, God’s determination to use certain people for his glory, God’s sovereignty, and God’s enormous love.  Additionally, we understand more about such negatives as rebellion against God’s will, and consequences for our actions from this book.  Also we gain a better understanding of hell and separation from God by studying chapter 2; also, Jesus’ comparison of Himself and Jonah and being in the belly of the fish/earth.  I read through 8 commentaries that were helpful in varying degrees but the two books I would recommend most for laymen are The Remarkable Journey of Jonah: A Scholarly, Conservative Study of His Amazing Record by Henry M. Morris; also Jonah: A Study in Compassion by O. Palmer Robertson.  Both bring home the teaching of the book in a straightforward, user-friendly way.  James Montgomery Boice has a couple of volumes which cover all of the Minor Prophets.  His section on Jonah was very good and extremely helpful in my study.  Also, I would give honorable mention to Billy K. Smith and Frank S. Page for their volume on Jonah in the New American Commentary Series (NAC).

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

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