For All It's Worth

Trinitarian Letters: Your Adoption and Inclusion in the Life of God by Paul Kurts Paul Kurts has written a new and quite unique book about the Trinity and incorporation of believers into the life of God. He writes early on that, "The radical truth of this means that in Christ the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form and that we have been given fullness in Christ" (3). I really appreciate the way Kurts locates the fundamental reality of being adopted by God and being `in Christ' as providing a foundational plight for theology. He also rightfully places Christ as the intercessor for believers not in some temporary spot but as an eternal intercessor advocating for us on our behalf. Yet, the book is wrought with problems, both theologically and by its format. First, Kurts writes, "Satan wants us to desperately to believe that God chose some to be saved and in relationship with Him forever, and chose others to be tormented and tortured forever in the et

Cross Examined: An unconventional spiritual journey by Bob Seidensticker Cross Examined takes a closer look at the relationship between faith and arguments against Christianity through the lens of a story.  The novel centers around Paul, a man who was taken off the streets into the ministry with Samuel, the senior pastor of The First Church of God in San Francisco.  All the while this is happening, Paul’s fiancee is trapped in the ruins of the earthquake that has just taken place (set in 1906).  The charismatic pastor, Samuel, is known for both his prophetic utterances but also his debating of serious issues every year at his own apologetics conference.  The tale unfolds as Samuel sends Paul out to minister to a man named Jim, who had been holed up in his house for almost twenty years, bearing the pain of a lost love.  Little does he know, Paul is stepping into the house of a man armed with the intellectual rigor to argue against Christianity but also one who knows Samuel.

Prepared By Grace, For Grace by Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley http://www.heritagebooks.org/prepared-by-grace-for-grace-the-puritans-on-gods-way-of-leading-sinners-to-christ/ This new book on the Puritans and God’s ordinary way of leading sinners to Christ is a reservoir of research and careful study into the primary and secondary sources concerning preparation.  Many readers will know of Joel R. Beeke, who has made himself a household name by his many works on the Puritans, including most recently his work entitled Puritan Theology.  Paul Smalley, Beeke’s teacher’s assistant brings to the table some very keen insights about Puritan writing.  So what is this book about?  Well, for one thing, the authors indicate that, “This book addresses the question of how God ordinarily brings sinner to the point of trusting in Christ alone for salvation.  Specifically, is conversion an event or a process?....Does God ordinarily begin the work of conversion by first convincing s

Francis: Man of Prayer by Mario Escobar This new biography of the present Pope, Francis, is a foray into the background, life, ministry and election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio.  The author, Mario Escobar has written an insightful and illuminating biography of Francis.  Breaking the book up into three larger section, Escobar deals with Francis’ early life, his ministry as a Cardinal and the major challenges that he faces in a global world.  What I thought was impressive about this biography was the way in which Escobar brought to life the details about Bergoglio’s early life that would carry through for the rest of the book.  Early on Escobar writes of Francis, “The Argentine adolescent learned the value of work, and his work ethic has made him indefatigable” (7).  This boundless energy that Francis has exhibits itself in his care for the poor and his service to the church.  There is never a sense of pride that looks at where he came from and the position he has as a dem

http://store.kregel.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=3008 Rainbows for Rainy Days: 40 devotional readings that reveal God’s promises by Catherine Campbell Holding onto the promises of God amidst a broken world full of pain and suffering is not an easy task.  Yet, these devotional readings, entitled Rainbows for Rainy Days, written by Catherine Campbell are a treasure house full of wisdom for the weary traveler on the journey through the Christian life.  Taking a Scripture, providing a short meditation alongside a beautiful photograph, these devotional readings bring to life the ways in which God pursues his people from beginning to end.  I found myself throughout the book saying out loud, “Yes, that is true, Amen to that!”  I would like to point out some reasons why this devotional is so valuable for those following Christ. 1    1.            Details of the Story Catherine takes great pains to draw us into the story of the Bible, including those aspects of the narr

Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales by Randy Singer http://www.tyndale.com/Dead-Lawyers-Tell-No-Tales/9781414383842#.UceQu_mTi8A Spending time in prison for a point shaving scheme, Landon Reed comes out of jail with a faithful wife by his side, Kerri.  Soon after this, Landon quickly hits the books training to be a lawyer in near Washington D.C. in Virginia.  Randy’s new book, Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales is a riveting tale full of surprise with an occasional twist in plot detail.  The story speeds up as Landon is hired on as a lawyer with Harry McNaughten, one of the founders of McNaughten and Clay.  Unbeknownst to Landon, Harry has been on the seat of many of controversial and most difficult court cases.  Rather than shove Landon in a cubicle and wait for his turn to rise through the ranks of lawyers, Harry immediately puts Landon front and center of a case that smells of insider trading and murder.  One of the reasons I thought this book was so good was its attention to devel

I told my soul to sing: finding God with EMILY DICKINSON by Kristin LeMay http://www.paracletepress.com/i-told-my-soul-to-sing.html In the struggle with faith, doubt and discovery Emily Dickinson finds a unique place in the writing of poetry.  In this new book, I told my soul to sing by Kristin LeMay, the author seeks to capture Dickinson’s widening struggle with the things of God, and in turn, tells her own story.  LeMay divides the chapters in the book by larger themes; belief, immortality, mortality, doubt and prayer, and many other themes.  Rather than make a weighty conjecture about Emily’s belief for or against Christianity, LeMay seeks to draw out her struggle with God while listening to her poetry revealing this same struggle. In the first chapter on Belief, LeMay brings to the surface a most illuminating point about conversion in Dickinson’s life.  She writes, “Let me say that again: Emily used her poetry as a means for her own conversion…To borrow the tradi

Limitless: Devotions for a Ridiculously Good Life by Nick Vujicic Those familiar with Nick’s story will be amazed at how he keeps on living the good life in the midst of what most people would deem an utter tragedy.  Having been born with no limbs, Nick has gone through his share of peaks and valleys in life.  This new book, Limitless is a gathering of fifty devotions aimed at inspiring those down on their hopes and dreams and needing a dose of encouragement.  Each devotion provides a Scripture passage, a short inspirational message, and an ending few sentences set apart to anchor the message of each devotion in a memorable fashion.  High Points of the Devotion One cannot come away with many of the stories that Nick tells without a sense of awe and wonder.  In lesson 7 Nick tells of his travels to China to speak to an orphanage, one which housed those without families due to the devastating earthquake.  Nick writes, “I didn’t have to inspire these children. Instead,

I’ve Got Your Back: A Leadership Parable by James C. Galvin James C. Galvin, author, organizational consultant and creator of the Life Application Study Bible has brought his wealth of wisdom to bear upon leadership in his new book entitled I’ve Got Your Back.  By developing a leadership parable that centers on the lives of four young adults and a man of wisdom to guide them, this book is quite unlike any leadership book I’ve read.  Even more, the book offers a concise theology of leadership and followership in this last section that provides a snapshot of how God directs leaders and followers in the Scriptures.  I want to say at the outset that I was expecting a quite dull and boring book devoted towards either harping on moral requirements for leaders or a bunch of nice leadership stories.  Rather, what you get here is a refreshing and invigorating way of looking what it means to follow and lead well. Aha Moments in the Book In the meetings with Jack, the four mem