Review: THE GOSPEL OF JESUS by Daniel Johnson, read by Garrison Keillor

This is the only freebie you get. I said a while back that I like audiobooks, and you'd have to figure out which were read and which were listened to. The "read by " credit kind of gives this one away, though.

I like the way Keillor reads, though, and think of this as as much his book as Johnson's. When it comes down to it, this is a very well-done harmony of the Gospels, based on the New Living Translation, and read by Garrison Keillor. There's no part of that sentence I don't like, and I highly recommend it.

1Kings 6

Though it's not likely that Solomon ever swung a hammer, this chapter repeatedly says that he built the temple.

I know what's meant . The author only meant that Solomon caused it to be done, not that he did it himself. Still, it's a funny picture, Solomon in robe and crown,doing it all alone.

And here's another post on Locked- In Syndrome

I realized that it's been a long time since I wrote anything about the shape I'm in. There are a couple of reasons for this. The most  important is that I just don't like talking about myself. The most boring subject to write on is me.

As for Locked-In Syndrome, the old description is the best:  I have a good mind in a good body, with no real communication between them. Practically, this means that I'm completely paralyzed and can only reliably move my eyes.

There. Now you know more about it than the doctors I've met.

1Kings 5

Hiram, the king of Tyre, thought very highly of David, and Solomon reaped the rewards.

Hiram had the wood harvested. He had it flowed and carried to the sites that Solomon had pointed out,. Hiriram sent craftsmen, found work for tens of thousands of conscriptted Israelites, and even came himself to supervise. But Solomon had to feed them all.

Review: WILD AT HEART by John Eldredge

This is the first Eldredge book I ever read, several years ago. Unfortunately, it's also the book that convinced me that while his psychology may be good his theology is terrible.

First, the good. Eldredge points directly to the problem when he states that men in general don't feel needed or even welcome in a world that seems to have been designed for womenl. He also writes wrell, and I always think it's a good idea to do that.

And if that was all, everything would be great. Unfortunately, there's the bad. Specifically, there are two areas of concern. The first is a mistake even great philosophers have made: he assumes that his own experiences are normative. Not only does he think all his desires come from God because he's ssved, but he tends to identify his tastes and God's. Essentially, God becomes John Eldredge writ large.,

Potentially more problematic is his attitude toward God's omniscience. Eldredge repeatedly refers to the "risks" God took creating people with free will. Risk implies a lack of knowledge about the future that skirts dangerously close to Open Theism.

I would love to recommend this book, but I can't.

1Kings 4

This is Israel's golden age, without a doubt.

Look how much land they controlled. Abraham had been promised all the land between the Euphrates and the sea, and this is as close as they got to claiming that promise.

Review: WAKING THE DEAD by John Eldredge

The "dead" to which the the title refers are desires and dreams, particularly those of men. As in most of his books, Eldredge wants men to break out of their civilized shells and become the strong, wild men God created them to be, which seems to involve fly fishing, for some reason. And elk hunting.

This isn't so much a bad book as a nonessential one. There is very little in this that isn't in his other books. For that reason, I don't recommend it 

1Kings 3

I find it more than a little ironic that Solomon asked for wisdom to know good from evil while he was at the "great high place" where he was accustomed to offer enormous sacrifices . Even more amazing is that God granted it provided he followed God's laws.

For example by not sacrificing to Baal.

I believe in the holy catholic church, the communion of the saints

First, understand that "catholic" is an old word meaning "universal". No one is pledging allegiance to the Church of Rome by repeating the Apostles' Creed.

The Church consists of followers of Christ in every place and every time. It is the universal community of saints, "saints" being another name for Christians in the New Testament.

The Church is not a place you go. It's not an institution founded by people. It isn't even synonymous with any denomination or sect. Simply put, it's all people throughout all time and space who love Jesus Christ and are loved by him.

1Kings 2

David's last place of advice to Solomon was just a hit list. Solomon had it carried out, making this a very bloody chapter.

It's more like The Godfather than the Bible.

Review: REVOLUTION IN WORLD MISSIONS by KP Yohannon

This is another of those books that changed my whole outlook.

Yohannon is a native of southwestern India, and his organization, Gospel for Asia, trailns native missionaries who can spread the Gospel more quickly and easily than Westerners can. The book is both autobiography, tracing the lives of Yohannon and GfA, and manifesto, calling for an end to the status quo and the increased use of native missionaries rather than foreigners.

I highly recommend this book. It opened my eyes, and will likely have the same effect on you.

1Kings 1

Yet another rebellion by a son. What a way to start a book.

David was too old to rule effectively, and Adonijah slipped in his own coronation without bothering to let his father know. David was too old and sick to do anything about it anyway. But Solomon wasn't.

The S-word

I'm going to tell you a secret.

It's a word, one the "good" people say they don't know. They're lying, though. Everyone has to deal with it one way or another.

It's certainly not a word you'd want to use in polite company. In fact some churches never use it, and some preachers take a lot of pride in the fact that they've never used the word, and they probably never will.

Of course, we mere mortals should forget we ever heard it, and under no circumstances are we to say the S-word, especially to someone not already in our club.

What word am I talking about? Lean close and then I'll tell you.

It's sin.

It's not what people want to hear. You won't build a 10000-member congregation talking about sin. You can't become rich and famous or have a string of $10 billion campuses or travel the world in private planes by telling people to repent. The question was never, "Is the Gospel helpful?" but "Is it true?"

Is it true?

Review: RADICAL by David Platt

If you're a reader like me, there are a few books that have changed the way you look at the world. This is one of mine.

The idea behind the book is simple: Christians in America don't have to live the American dream, particularly since Christ called his followers to the exact opposite. Instead of chasing bigger, better, and newer stuff, we're to live quiet lives of service and humility.

This book was a breath of fresh air the first time I read it, and it continues to be every time I reread it. I recommend it; it's definitely a message we need to hear.

Review: HOW TO CHOOSE AND USE A WIDE-MARGIN BIBLE by Randy A. Brown

Randy Brown runs the Bible Buying Guide, a blog  that a) specializes in news and reviews of new Bible editions,  and b) is better than this one. He's gained a lot of knowledge, and he's been good enough to share some in books like this.

I personally thought this book was written and put together well. It's clear it isn't a professional job, but it's also clear that Brown put in the effort in both the writing and Kindle formatting to make it as good as possible. The only complaint I have is that there isn't more of it. There's a lot of information here, but it's still a very short book. Then again, maybe I shouldn't be so critical of short things; my lovely wife is one, after all.

All told, this is a good book on an unfortunately obscure subject.. I recommend everyone read it visit the site, and get your own wide-margin Bible.

2Samuel 24

This is either several interconnected stories or one long one. I personally think it's the latter. Regardless, this chapter tells how Israel got the land for the temple. I also like the fact that David wouldn't offer a sacrifice that cost him nothing.

He really was a man after God's own heart.

1Kings will start Monday.

Review: THE ACCIDENTAL ANARCHIST by Bryna Kaszler

And here I thought I was done with Russians for a while.

Actually, this is a fictionalized rendition of the life of the author's grandfather. His biography was very picturesque, and Kanzler does a good job of describing the immensity of Siberia and the inhuman conditions of the Russian army and the gulags.

At the end of the book, the author reveals the practical upshot of all the adventures: this is how her family came to America. The biographical note at the end bridges the gap between the author's time and that of her subject.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Despite my antipathy toward its setting, it drew me in, and I enjoyed reading it. I recommend it.

2Samuel 23

This chapter is divided into two. Verses 1-7 give an account of David's last prophecy, and verse 8 on tell of his mighty men.

It's interesting that God rarely spoke through David while he was king. He wrote most of his psalms as a shepherd, and though he never stopped seeking God's will,often he was spoken to rather than through.

I believe in the Holy Ghost

Do you, really? Francis Chan called him the "forgotten God"; he's definitely the hardest one to visualize.(I always picture and a huge manta ray for some reason,)

The King James Version and this creed haven't helped by translating this as "Holy Ghost". Most newer works say "Holy Spirit", which I prefer. I don't doubt that ghost was the best word at the time, but these days it just brings up images of spooks.

Let's be clear. There aren't any haints in Christianity. There were a few people who were raised from the dead, and one notable occasion when a man's soul was called up from the land of the dead. Other than that,there's nothing. We worship the living, not the dead.

Whether you believe in him or in some preconceived notion of him, the Holy Spirit is God. He's an integral part of the Trinity, and Jesus said it was better for him to leave so the Spirit would come.

Do yourself a favor and research the Holy Spirit. Do yourself an even bigger favor and pray for guidance first. There's a lot of crazy about him on the interwebs.

2Samuel 22

He was the king of all Israel. Many kings paid tribute to him. The armies of the nation were under his command, and he knew exactly how many chariots, horses, and men he had. Yet this whole chapter is a song of praise to God.

He had everything,but he knew who it was all from.

2Samuel 21

David started off killing a giant, and all this time later he's still doing it.

This time is different, though. His commanders asked him to stay home because he was too valuable to lose. That's different from staying home for no reason except to get in trouble. He was becoming an old man, and was being treated as such.

Then church is supposed to be boring?

Never. Church services should never be boring.

Just look in the Bible. There are battles, intrigue, love songs, extramarital affairs, unbelievable wins and heartbreaking losses. That's the kind of thing we hear about in church. Doesn't sound boring to me.

And don't use the excuse that you can't understand the Bible. There are something like 60 kajillion translations of the Bible now. Find a reputable one you like and read it, and if you don't get something, ask.

In fact, that's another reason why you should be in church: the people who can answer your questions are there.

Charles Spurgeon, possibly one of the greatest preachers who ever lived, gave his students this advice: if you see people going to sleep, give each of your deacons a long stick and a penknife, and tell them to whittle one end of that stick down to a needle-sharp point. That way, when people start to nod off, they can prod the preacher.

To paraphrase John Wesley, founder of the Methodists, it's the preacher's job to be on fire; it's yours to be there to watch him burn.

What I mean is that the pastor is responsible for making sure that the service isn't dull. You have to adjust your expectations and realize that the entire world doesn't exist just to entertain you. Who knows? You may even start liking it, and then you can be a church nerd too.

He is risen!

Easter isn't about boiling eggs, though plenty of people like hard-boiled eggs.

Easter isn't about new dresses and hats, though there's nothing wrong with a pretty girl in a pretty dress.

Easter isn't about celebrating springtime; after all, it's autumn in half the world.

Easter isn't about hiding plastic eggs, though watching little kids try to find them is a lot of fun 

Easter isn't about candy, though candy is very good. 

Easter isn't about the Germanic goddess Eostre, though few of us call it "Pascha" anymore.

Easter isn't about family getting together, though family getting together is nice.

All of these things are just stuff we've piled on a holiday that's really about one thing: a man who died on Friday walked out of the tomb on Sunday.

He is risen, indeed.

2Samuel 20

Sheba learned the wrong lesson from Absalom's rebellion.

The only reason it had seemed easy -- and had almost succeeded -- was David's reluctance to fight his son. He felt no such reluctance when it came to Sheba, and when the people of the city where Sheba had hidden saw this army arrayed against them, they took care of the problem themselves.

Review: THE PURSUIT OF GOD by AW Tozer

Other than a couple of CS Lewis books, nothing that didn't say Holy Bible on the first page had such an effect on me.

It's a very good book, one of the best I've ever read. I recommend it in the strongest possible terms. Some of that may have to do with its size; it's not a long break at all, but it's a very full one.

But it might not affect you the same way. I think it's one of the greatest books ever written. Your mileage may vary.

2Samuel 19

Joab was replaced as David's top general, that's given in a short, almost throwaway, clause in a sentence about someone else. It's significant, since Joab had been with him a long time, and was one of the very few people who could speak openly to the king. Maybe that's why David got rid of him.

He was afraid to face a popular general who was much like himself.

Review: DELIVER US FROM ME-VILLE by David Zimmerman

This is a very good book.

It covers a lot of the same ground as Embracing Obscurity, but in my opinion is the better book.

The idea is that Christians should stop expecting everything to revolve around them and churches should stop catering to that.

We live in a very self-centered time, in which we have to be told we aren't the center of the universe. This book is a good antidote for that, and I definitely recommend it.

2Samuel 18

Absalom was ultimately brought down by his hair. If that isn't an argument for short hair, I don't know what is,

Like the Amalekite in chapter 1, the Cushite thought he was bringing David good news. He didn't account for how much the king loved his son, though.

From thence he will come to judge the quick and the dead

First off, "quick" is just an old way of saying "alive". The Apostles' Creed simply says that Christ will judge the dead and the not-dead. Last I checked, that covers everybody.

Wait. Jesus is going to judge people? I thought we weren't supposed to do that. Doesn't it say right there in the Bible, "Judge not, lest thou be judged"?

It's funny how people who don't know the first thing about Scriptrure always quote this King James Version. If you hear very old, Elizabethan English, you're virtually guaranteed to be talking to one.

And I know that the KJV was translated not under Elizabeth I, but under her successor, James I. I also know the KJV was meant to be slightly old-fashioned, Elizabethan even.

But that's just a very long rabbit trail.

What matters is what that line means, and the answer to that is simple: exactly what it says.  It's remarkably straightforward. There just isn't a lot of explanation necessary. Just remember that God the Son will leave the Father's side to judge humanity.

Like it says.

2Samuel 17

it has always bothered me when God's people get what they want by lying. In this chapter, Hushai was sent specifically to call Ahithophel's good counsel bad. He was to lie.

I'm still thinking that through.

Review: THE NEXT STORY by Tim Challies

Challies is a very popular blogger. He is also Canadian, which doesn't have anything to do with anything, but I thought I would mention it anyway.

This book is about the incredible growth of computer technology and interconnection, and how Christians should react. It's timely and very well-written. I recommend this book as a good look at a very important subject.

2Samuel 16

David showed wisdom even in defeat.

He would have been justified in killing Shimei, or in telling someone to do it. Instead, he let him live, showing how the years and the circumstances had mellowed his hot-headed nature.

Should church be more entertaining?

That's something I've heard a lot. It's usually used as an excuse for why men don't want to go to church. The other popular excuse I've heard is that women are just more religious than men. That's patently false; in the various Eastern Orthodox churches, as many men as women attend, and in Islam more men than women attend weekly services.

So much for the second objection. 

The first brings us back to the original question. Should church be more entertaining? I remember hearing last year that it church were more like football, he might go.

But should that be the case? Should church be more like football? I'm not going to defend the modern church service, which owes more to the medieval Church of Rome than to the Bible. I don't think that the church needs to be more entertaining. I think we're too concerned about being entertained.

That's why some churches have a live nativities. It's why some have motorcycles, wild game nights, and whatever else they think will attract men. This is just pitiful.

What we need to do is stop going to church looking to be entertained. What the church needs to do is stop trying to compete with the world in terms of entertainment. It can't, and it shouldn't. All the church has that the world doesn't is Jesus.

That's where the focus should be. Before they hear about anything else, they should hear about him. There isn't anything inherently wrong with all the other stuff, but it's all secondary to him.

Let's keep first things first.

2Sanuel 15

This is what happens when you let your kids run wild: they rebel.

This chapter tells about the early success of Absalom's rebellion. Rather than stand up to his murderous, rebellious child, David ran. He also made plans to take his throne back. He had been at his best when running from a king, after all.

Review: THE MYTH OF A CHRISTIAN RELIGION by Gregory A. Boyd

This  is a companion and a follow-up to Boyd's earlier work, The Myth of a Christian Nation. Unfortunately, it's just not good enough.

There are two problems with it. The fact is that it's not alone. The premise is that modern Christianity owes more to secular sources than to the Bible. This is also the idea behind Pagan Christianity, by perennial trend-chasers George Barna and Frank Viola, and as much as I hate to admit it, the latter is the better book.

The other problem is the specter of Open Theism that overshadows the book. For those who don't know, Open Theism is the belief that God doesn't know the future, and it's a position with which Boyd has been increasingly associated. I'm not sure of his beliefs right now, but it's hard not to read his work without that in mind.

Even leaving that aside, I don't recommend it. It's not as good as the book it follows, and it's not as good as the one by Barna and Viola. 

2Samuel 14

David was as decent as any man who ever lived, but he seems to have been impetuous, blind to his own behavior, and far too enamored of his power as King. Together, these made the palace of King David a dangerous place for anybody not named King David.

That may be why he so often had to be tricked into doing the right thing.

Review: MINISTRIES OF MERCY by Tim Keller

Keller started a church in the middle of New York City, which I suppose makes him qualified to write a book on helping the poor. Well, that and the fact that he's a good writer.

That isn't always the case. Too often, people get book deals just because they're famous. No one seems to care if they can write., or if they have anything to say. The work is usually farmed out to ghostwriters anyway, which makes it ironic when they can't write either. There's no pressure to make a good book; the publisher is selling the famous name, not the book. The only loser is the reader. I blame Al Gore.

Sorry. I didn't mean that to turn into a rant.

What I meant to say was that Keller writes well. Many books of the kind first try to bury the reader in statistics or drown him in syrupy sentimentality before bringing in bibical reasons to care. Keller disdains tactics like that,keeping a close focus on Scriptrure the whole time.

Why should we care about the poor? Keller gives us a biblical answer, and shows how that answer can look played out in the world. This book's goal isn't to make you feel guilty, but to help you act biblically, and I recommend it.

2Samuel 13

Everyone should read this chapter. It has everything -- incest, rape, murder  -- something for the whole family, really.

It also gives us a chance to talk about David. He was a great warrior and poet, less imprssive as a king, and to judge by this chapter, an abject failure as a father.

He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty

We not only believe that Jesus lived a perfect life and rose from the grave on the third day, but that he ascended into Heaven, where he remains today, ruling with the Father.

There isn't much else to say. Personally, I feel that his resurrection and eternal life give me more reason to trust in my own.

2Samuel 12

A lot of the time, sin doesn't just hurt the sinners. Already David had to have Uriah killed to protect himself. Now the child that would have exposed him died after a week anyway.

If it weren't for the 51st Psalm, I don't know that anything good could have come from it.

Review: COMPLETE WORKS by Sophocles

This is the second of three Greek tragedies in the Great Books series. It's marginally better than the plays of Aeschylus, but that's like saying you'd rather be hanged than injected. (I would, by the way.)

I found this slightly more interesting simply because I was familiar with one of the plays, Oedipus the King. Since that's the extent of the nice things I can say about it, I'll just rant about something instead.

I really like Delphi's complete works collections, but to keep prices down they have to use Public Domain translations. These are mostly Victorian, and the translators all chose to use very archaic English as the target language. Maybe the fact that they're old translations of even older English plays that are ancient by any definition is part of the reason they don't do it for me.

Needless to say, I don't recommend this book, except as a sleep aid.

2Samuel 11

This is David's great sin, the one that changed his life and tarnished his reign.

It all started because he stayed home when he should have been with the army. He was bored, and it led to him committing adultery (as did Bathsheba; don't think she was just a wide-eyed innocent in all this), lied to cover it up, and had a man killed because he wouldn't help with his own deception. And it all began with a man being somewhere he had no business being, watching something he had no business watching.

The question about the centurion

I had a question put to me that asked why Jesus, when he healed the centurion's servant, he didn't tell the centurion to hang up his sword and stop being a soldier. After all, if followers of Christ are to depend on him rather than on weapons, as I believe, shouldn't Jesus have mentioned it to a professional soldier he actually met?

I can think of a couple of reasons why he didn't. The first is that Jesus didn't have exactly the same mission as his followers. I want to be very careful here, because we are commanded to be imitators of Christ in a great many ways. There are some things we can't do, though, which is fine because they aren't our job anyway. For example, no matter how good you think you are I'm prepared to guarantee that you weren't sent to die for the sins of the world.

The second is that Jesus was very clear that he came to the Israelites. He didn't come to save Romans, or Finns or Incas for that matter. He said he came for the lost sheep of this house of Israel, and that was in the context of not wanting to help a woman who was far more closely related to the Jews than a centurion would be. Simply put, Jesus' earthly ministry had a very tight focus, and correcting Roman soldiers wasn't it. It's significant that the task of carrying the Gospel out of the Promised Land was given to the apostles.

Figuring out why Jesus Christ did something is often very difficult. Figuring out why he didn't do something is at best nearly impossible. It's just one more example of the Bible telling us not what we want to know, but what we need to know.

2Samuel 10

When the king of the Ammonites died, David sent people to offer his condolences to the new king. Unfortunately, this new king listened to some very bad advice and mistreated them, which should a war.

Being suspicious'll get you killed.

Review: ALMOST HOME by Chris Fabry

This is a good example of why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. The cover, with its saturated colors and clichéd overall appearance, it leads the reader to expect a nice, quiet, cozy kind of buzz.

It's not. 

It's the story of a life, lived mostly in a hollow in West Virginia, with all its ups and downs. While there are some cliches, it's mostly a small story told very well. It's about a man's commitment, first to God, then to the people, places, and things he loves.

I recommend this book. I was pleasantly surprised by it, and I think you will be too.

2Samuel 9

Don't forget people when you're on top.

Even though he was the king of all Israel, David never forgot his friend Jonathan. For Jonathan's sake, he wanted to do good to whoever remained of Saul's family, and when the one he found turned out to be Jonathan's son, that was even better,

Review: MACBETH by William Shakespeare

Let's just take for granted that I don't get Shakespeare. That way I don't have to complain and you don't have to read it.

I actually like this one. It's considered one of the greatest plays of all time, so it's not like anyone was waiting for my opinion, but I really do like it. The little things that could be left out without harming the basic story, like this witches and Lady Macbeth's descent into madness, add layers of gloom to an already dark play. Even the movement of Birnham Wood contributes to the almost surreal atmosphere.

In short, if you haven't read it recently, you probably should. I didn't appreciate it when I was 17 either.

2Samuel 8

This is a chapter of triumph, plain and simple. Everything David touched seemed to turn to gold. The key is that he was always doing God's will.

If you're on God's side, he'll always be on yours.

The third day he rose from the dead:

This is the heart of the Christian Faith. As this apostle Paul said, if Christ didn't rise from the dead, we should be pitied more than anyone else. Fortunately, there's no good reason to doubt it.

"Proving it scientifically" isn't an option. The scientific method can never be used to prove historical events. They are by nature not repeatable. You can't prove that the North won the Civil War scientifically.

You can prove it evidentially, though, and wiser people than I have done so. The fact is the only reason to doubt it is to decide beforehand that the supernatural never happens.

But never mind that.

The reason I called it the heart of the faith is that so much depends on it. If Christ couldn't defeat death for his own sake, what makes me think he can do it for me? If he didn't rise, then I'm confusing God with a dead criminal. I and millions more over the last two millennia have devoted ourselves to a lie.

I believe in a Saviour who rose from the grave in three days. If I'm wrong I've wasted my time and yours, and I hope you'll forgive me. But I don't think I am.

2Samuel 7

I think it's interesting that God didn't speak directly to David on this, but used the prophet Nathan. Anyway, what he was talking to Nathan about was David's plan to build a temple. In response to what seems like a simple yes or no question, God makes an extravagant promise.

Be careful what you wish for. You might get something better.

Review: THE JOURNEY OF DESIRE by John Eldredge

After the death of Bret Curtis, John Eldredge could have quit writing. After all, Curtis was his best friend, as well as his partner in almost everything. Instead, he has become very prolific.

This book was one of Eldredge's earliest solo books, and the lack of confidence shows. It is a well-written book, and all of Eldredge's major themes are here, some still unfinished.

I wish I could recommend this book, but especially in light of the more mature work Eldredge would later produce, I can't.

2Samuel 6

Dignity is overrated, anyway.

Michal's complaint was basically that David was undignified and the servants would talk. David just didn't care. He wasn't dancing for her or the servants anyway. He was dancing because he was happy, and he was dancing for God. God didn't seem to mind a little Indignity, so neither did David.

God is love?

Of course. It says it right there in the Bible. In those exact words. In 1John. End of post.

Except actually not. As C. S. Lewis wrote, a lot of people say "God is love" when what they mean is "Love is god." Even worse, we think our 21st century Western view of love is god.

The current version of love is largely negative; we can't say anything about someone's "choices" -- which are immutable -- and we can't push our religion on anyone, which is defined as bringing it up or letting it affect our opinions.

In contrast, the Bible sees this as terribly unloving. There, love is seen as a positive motivation; it makes people do things. In the Bible, love equals action.

Think about that for a moment. To the world, love basically equals sex. You can do whatever you want with whomever you want provided you "love" them. The biblical definition of love includes wanting the best for a person, not just for now but for the long haul ... and according to the Bible, the long haul is very, very long.

The simple fact is that revelations about God are meant to do one thing first and foremost: reveal something about God. "God is love" tells us that God is love. It does not provide a convenient loophole that allows you to do all kinds of things the rest of the Bible condemns.

2Samuel 5

David was finally anointed king over all Israel.

Of course, God had had Samuel anoint him king years before, but it sometimes takes a long time for people to catch up to what God is doing.

Review: JESUS: THE ONLY WAY TO GOD by John Piper

Pluralism is the belief that there are many paths to God. It says that no matter which religion you choose, they all lead to the same place.

Frankly, it's insulting, not just to Christianity but to every other major religion as well. Since they all make conflicting claims, by saying they're all true, pluralism says that none of them are.

Piper's book is a broadside against all that.

He takes Jesus' claim to be the way, the truth, and the life at face value and examines what it means in today's world. It's sobering for those outside the visible Church, and even more so for professing Christians within it.

I recommend this book, with all the usual caveats about Piper's work.

2Samuel 4

David's respect for Saul extended to his family. The brothers thought David would be happy with Ish-Bosheth's death. After all, he had peeled off most of the kingdom, and was David's chief rival for the throne. Instead, David had the assassins killed and the remains of the false king honorably buried.

Wait 'til you see how he treats Jonathan's son Mephibosheth.

Review: HOW SHOULD A CHRISTIAN VOTE? by Tony Evans

The answer, unfortunately, is "like he always has". 

This book came out just before the 2012 presidential election, ostensibly to convince people to vote for the Republican candidate. But how do you convince people who have been taught their whole lives not to vote for a Democrat no matter what?

The fact is that, down here in Alabama at least, there were no undecided voters to convince. Some groups always vote for Democrats while the others always vote for Republicans. There are exceptions, but they're rare, and since there's no point in campaigning among people who already know how they'll vote, both groups have effectively taken themselves out of the electoral process.

I'm most definitely not trying to win votes for the Democratic Party. I just want people to think before they vote.

Regardless, this is supposed to be a book review, not a rant about voting. I don't recommend this book, because I don't agree with Mr. Evans' conclusions. Doing more of the same while expecting different results is just insane.

2Samuel 3

Be nice to people, because you just don't know,

Abner was a great general, even if he was on the wrong side. Through Ish-Bosheth's jealousy, Abner defected to the other side. unfortunately for him, Joab got his revenge for the death of his brother. David had his people mourn Abner, which only made them love him more.

Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into Hell

The Romans were good at three things above all else: making laws, building roads, and killing people.

Modern law is still based on Roman codes. All over Europe are roads the Romans built that are still in use. And when a Roman soldier told you somebody was dead, you could pretty much count on it.

So let's not have any nonsense about how Jesus just fainted and the soldiers thought he was dead. I've seen people who have fainted, and I'm fairly certain that a spear thrust into his side, piercing his heart, would have at least woken him up.

So he suffered under Pontius Pillate, the Roman governor at the time (helping to establish his historicity) and was crucified, died, and was buried.

The only part that gives some people trouble is the thing about the Savior descending to Hell. If it makes you feel better, call it Sheol, the Land of the Dead, or whatever floats your boat.

2Samuel 2

This is where the divided kingdom began.

Not for good; there were three kings of the united monarchy, and so far we've only seen one. But it's funny how things broke down.

Review: HEARING GOD by Dallas Willard

Willard is that rare and strange creature popular with both Pentecostals and Baptists. This book, though it seems based on the title would have a Pentecostal focus, is actually much more about prayer.

It's a truism that prayer is a conversation with God, but too often the conversation is completely one-sided. We present our wish lists to God and leave, not caring what the Maker and Sustainer of the Universe might have to say to us.

Willard's book is about the other side of the conversation; it's basically about learning shut up and listen to God is saying to us. It's a message we evanjellyfish need to hear, but unfortunately Willard's style is sufficiently bland that the message slips the mind.

I recommend this book for its arguments, but I don't for its presentation. It's an easy book to admire, but a hard one to love.

2Samuel 1

There are two things you should know about David: he meant to eliminate the Amalekites, and he wouldn't allow anyone to hurt Saul, the Lord's anointed.

The Amalekite should have known what he was getting into.

W. D. J. K.?

Back in the late 1990s got used to seeing W. W. J. D on everything. It stood for "What Would Jesus Do", which was derived from the central question of Charles Sheldon's novel, In His Steps.

On one hand, it's a good question. We should try to act like our Savior in every situation. On the other, it's not a good question at all, because by asking what Jesus would do, it opens the door to all kinds of speculation.

A better guide to behavior is Ray Comfort's WDJD?: What Did Jesus Do? This has the double advantage of preventing speculation and encouraging people to read the Gospels to see what he did,

For the purposes of this post, though, I'm not asking What Did Jesus Do.?, but rather Who Did Jesus Kill? The church in which I was baptized was in love with the military; it held a Uniform Honor Sunday every year, and acted like my joining the Navy was the best thing to happen in years. For all I know, to their way of thinking, it was.

I've seen this in every church of which I've been a part. Why do we love the military so much? Why do people who claim to worship the Prince of Peace think that it's better to put a bullet in someone's face than to give that person a reason for the hope that lies within us?

So who did Jesus kill? According to the New Testament, no one. I can't think of a single time he retaliated against anyone who hurt him. Someone will no doubt come back with Jesus' appearance at the Battle of Armageddon. Two things should be remembered about that, though.

First, it will be less a battle than a slaughter. The enemies of God will see it as a final chance to rebel, but the Bible depicts it as a way to get all of Christ's enemies in one place. Second, we're not invited. As I recall, it isn't so much between two armies as between an army and Jesus Christ.

And whatever you do don't throw Romans 13 at me. I'm very tired of people so desperate to justify themselves that they allow a poor understanding of a single chapter to trump everything else the NT says.

In closing (a meaningless phrase preachers use) I want to share with everyone something a good friend once asked me. "Should we hope some people remain unsaved so they can be soldiers? I didn't know how to answer then, but I think I do now:

No, we should try to make everyone a Christian so we don't need soldiers anymore.

Review: HE WINS, SHE WINS by Willard F. Harley, Jr.

it's a little-known fact that I have a minor in Christian counseling. This is worth less than nothing; all it did was waste a lot of my time and your money (since I got my degree with the GI Bill) and make me very suspicious of psychology.

This book does nothing to alleviate those suspicions. It was a free download from Christianaudio, which is strange because it's not a Christian book. It not only isn't based on Scriptrure, it is directly contradictory to it.

If a book doesn't claim to be written from a Christian perspective it can only be judged on its own merits, but if it does, it has to be compared with the Bible, and with nearly two millennia of Christian thought. I can't recommend this book because it just isn't up to the standard.

Review: FORGOTTEN GOD by Francis Chan

Francis Chan has been good at finding the thin points of the wall to build up. This book is no exception.

In a very biblical and readable  book,Chan lays out who the Holy Spirit is and why we should care. I admit that outside of Pentecostal churches, I've heard little about the Holy Spirit. Most professing Christians would say they believe in him, but few would claim to know much about him.

I recommend this book, because of the good information Chan provides in his free, easy style.

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary

Jesus Christ was both God and man. This line is just an affirmation of that.

Jesus was God because he was the Son of God. Like begets like. The child of a shark is a shark. The child of a dog is a dog. And the child of God is God. Since God was his father, he partook of the divine nature.

But he also had a human parent, Mary. From her Jesus got a human nature. I'm not sure how the divine and human coexisted in him, but some things you just have to take on faith.

One thing we should never have any nonsense about it being easy for him because he was really God. From his birth, when there  was no place for him but a stable in the world he made, to his death, during which the Father with whom he'd had eternal communion turned his back on the Son he'd always loved, divinity made it harder, not easier,

Why so many book reviews?

Simply put. I'm reviewing every book I read, and I'm trying hard to catch up. I started them late, and I usually read more than one book a week.

In addition, several of the things I've read are very short, and I generally read more than one at a time. It keeps me busy too.

Review: 50 REASONS WHY JEWS CAME TO DIE by John Piper

This is a typical Piper book: very well-researched, very well-written, and with enough Calvinism to keep me from recommending it without reservations.

Honestly, that's what I should write whenever I'm reviewing his work. I like Piper's books. I don't like his Calvinism. Both of these apply here 

1Samuel 31

It wasn't David who killed Saul.  It wasn't even the Philistines. It was himself.

Remember that David had the chance but refused to take it. When it became clear that the Philistines were going to either torture him before death or defile his body after, Saul thought it better to be killed by an Israelite than by an 'uncircumcised Philistine'. When his armor-bearer wouldn't do it, he did it himself, thus ending the sad tale of King Saul.

2Samuel starts next Monday.

This is what I believe really happened to me

I was taken out, plain and simple.

Let me be clear. I am not a Calvinist; I don't think my stroke was ordained by God in time immemorial as a part of his plan to bring himself the greatest amount of glory. I do believe God knew about it, and allowed it to happen, but didn't actually cause it, which I admit sounds a little like hair-splitting, but you're just going to have to trust me.

At any rate, I was trying to do something for the kingdom of God, and Satan saw me as a threat. So he tried to get rid of me.

Unfortunately for him, it didn't work. I still have an outlet for saying what I want, I still have the ability to type -- though more slowly than I used to-- and I'm still dedicated to reaching the world for Jesus Christ. So, from his point of view, it was an abject failure.

Anyway, that's what I believe happened. If it turns out I'm wrong, I promise to apologize.

1Samuel 30

Be good to those under you, because you just never know.

David and his men were led to those who had despoiled them by a servant the Amalekites had left behind to die. Who knows what would have happened if they hadn't?

Review: CRAZY LOVE by Francis Chan

I'm comfortable with a God who makes rules. I've never had a problem with them,or at least never had a problem getting around them, I've always thought I would've made a good Pharisee.

What I've always been less comfortable with is a God who loves me. That's because I know, deep down, that I'm not lovable.

Guess what? I'm right, and God loves me anyway.

That's the premise of this, Chan's first book. God loves you, not only more than you know but more than you can know. God loves his children with all of his heart, and his heart is infinite. He has crazy love for you.

For a first book, this is very accomplished. It is straightforward, focused tightly on its theme. Too often,a pastor's first book feels like a collection of sermons hammered to fit into a central theme, because that's often what it is. This book feels ... like a book. I'm not sure how to explain it.

At any rate, I'd recommend it. It's very good, and Chan has only gotten better.

1Samuel 29

Even if Acish was fooled, the other kings of the Philistines weren't. They knew David was dangerous. A wild animal on a leash is still a wild animal. Acish didn't understand that, and it was in David's best interest to make sure he didn't.

Would David have turned on the Philistines if he had gone to war with theim? I don't know; we can only knew what did happen, not what might have happened.

Review: BACK ON MURDER by J. Mark Bertrand

Crime fiction isn't my preferred gene, but JMB is one of only two actual published authors with whom I've corresponded, and I've learned a great deal from his Bible Design Blog over the years, so it just seemed rude not to read one of his books. Also, it was free, and I'm not one to turn down a free book,

In addition to crime, this book falls under the umbrella of "Christian" fiction, an artificial classification I genuinely hate. Too often, books sold as Christian are just watered-down versions of whatever's popular outside our little ghetto. Far too often, "Christian" is used as an excuse for a book being simply bad.

So you understand why I approached this with some trepidation,

I shouldn't have worried about the genre. Bertrand writes very well, and only brings up cliches to shoot them down. There is no sex or foul language, and that makes sense because the story doesn't need them. I was quickly drawn in, and when it was over I wanted to read more. As far as I'm concerned, that's the mark of a good book, and of a good author.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes this genre. Even if you don't, you might be pleasantly surprised. I certainly was.

1Samuel 28

Of course the woman was afraid. She was trapped between the king and a ghost.

This chapter shows how far Saul had fallen. He had gone from being a proud king to bring a man in disguise consulting a necromancer. In a sense, the book of 1Samuel is about Saul's downward slide. As David increased, Saul had to decrease.

And in his only begotten Son, our Lord

This is it. This is what makes Christians different from both Jews and Muslims.

We believe that God exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Not three gods; one God in three persons.. I don't understand it, and anyone who says he does is probably lying.

It was the Son who lived a perfect life as Jesus of Nazareth. The Son died on the cross as an atonement for our sins. He was the one who defeated death and rose again. He's our savior.

Just like the Creed says.

1Samuel 27

By living among the Philistines, David found a way to get away from Saul. Of course, the disadvantage to living among the Philistines is that you have to live among the Philistines. David got around that by getting his own city, with two results. First, he was able to use it to destroy Canaanites. Second, because David wasn't directly under this king's eye, he could lie and say he was attacking Israelite villages.

David was a great warlord and psalmist, but he was also extremely smart.

Review: THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

There are very few blocks I'd recommend without reservation. This is one.

It's hard, but it's worth it. It literally changed my life.

1Samuel 26

David once again had Said in his power, and once again refused to strike.

He wasn't afraid of hurting Said. Saul had tried to kill him numerous times. Taking Saul out just made sense. But David would not attack the Lord's anointed.

But what about the Jews?

What about them? They aren't Christians, so they need to be evangeliized.

Some people think otherwise., because the book of Romans says that all Israel will be saved. If people are going to Heaven just for having Jewish blood, then the Pharisees were right and Jesus was wrong.

I believe the Biblie. If it says that all Jews in the end times will be saved because they're Jews, then I believe it. In the meantime, though, every Christian has a responsibility to present the Gospel to every non-Christian, and that includes the Jews.

1Samuel 25

When you're dealing with a man named "fool", you know it's not going to end well. David made a reasonable request given everything his men had done. Nabal refused, though, and in the end paid for his foolishness.

"Nabal" means "fool", after all.

Review: THINK by John Piper

John Piper may be the pope of modern Calvinism, but he's also a good writer and a careful scholar. With this book, it turns out he's an intellectual too.

This book is a call to Christians to use the brains God gave them to build up the Church. Because of this focus, it's not only harder to get into, but it's a more difficult book in general than most of Piper's.

I found it worthwhile anyway. The mind is an area that has been largely overlooked by evangelicalism, with the exception of apologetics. In that sense, this is a step in the right direction.

1Samuel 24

No matter what Saul did to him, David would not take action against his master, the Lord's anointed King.

If there were nothing else to learn from David's life, there's this: doing right doesn't always mean you'll be treated right. You may be slandered. You may be run out. You may even be chased by an insane king. Do right anyway.

Review: THE SACRED ROMANCE by Brent Curtis and John Eldredge

This is the only book Eldredge co-authored with his friend Brent Curtis. Perhaps not coincidentally, it's also his best one. 

The premise of the book is simple: Christianity is less a system of doctrines to learn than it is a romance between God and the Christian. It's a timely message, even though the book itself is going on 20 years old at this point. 

Unfortunately, we tend to look at what people say they believe. As long as they can okay a list of beliefs, we welcome them into fellowship, regardless of the effect or lack thereof of their professed relationship with God. 

I don't blame pastors. Many are overworked, and almost all are under pressure to add members. They just don't have time to run after people to see if the love of God is growing within them. It's not their job anyway. 

It's all of ours.. That's why this book was written for laymen. Just as importantly, it was written by laymen. As in all of Eldredge's books, mountains and the West are overemphasized, but readers willing to look past that will find a great deal of good here. 

1Samuel 23

The difference between Saul and David can be seen in the sentence "David inquired of the Lord."

Saul didn't. He did what he thought he had to, but he isn't known for seeking God's will. David is, and it made all the difference.

I believe in God the father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth

The Apostles' Creed begins here, with a statement that not  only proclaims belief in God, but belief in the God of the Bible.

How so? By claiming a belief in God, it stands against the various forms of secular and humanistic thoughts that dominate in the West. It also opposes those forms of Buddism that are atheistic. Belief in God the Father means a repudiation of Judaism and Islam, which deny that God can beget a child. Calling him Maker of heaven and earth is a contradiction of Hinduism and other polytheistic religions, all of which hold that the universe is either eternal or formed from preexisting matter.

That may seem to be a lot to get out of one line, but it's there.

1Samuel 22

Notice that though the entire chapter the king trying to kill David, David never retaliates. Nor does he allow anyone else to.

For all his faults Saul was still the Lord's anointed.

Review: PARADISE REGAINED by John Milton

Both less-known and shorter than the author's Paradise Lost, this is a poetic retelling of the temptation of Christ.

I just reviewed the earlier work on Friday. Everything I said there applies here as well.

1Samuel 21

"Do I lack madmen?"

For some reason, that's always been funny to me. Like someone would just open a door say, "No sir, Your Majesty, get a whole closet of 'em right here." A lot more happens in this chapter, but what stuck out was a line about madmen.

I'm tired

I'm tired of not having control of anything but my eyes.

I'm tired of my wife worrying herself to death over me.

I'm tired people saying one thing and doing another,

I'm tired of being just a head attached to a useless body.

I'm tired of biting my lip and/or cheek every single time I (involuntarily) close my mouth, which is about a hundred times a day.

I'm tired of reassuring other people.

I'm tired of nurses being afraid they'll break me or my computer.

I'm tired of watching Lora work herself into an early grave trying to do everything.

I'm tired of my daughters not having a daddy who can do things with them.

I'm tired of being this way.

I'm just tired.

1Samuel 20

In this chapter, there are an insane king , a crown prince whose best friend is secretly the next king, a plot to murdrer and one to avoid being murdered, ..

Why don't more people read the Bible?

Review: PARADISE LOST by John Milton

 This is one of the Big Books, a classic, thoroughly review-proof. Of course, many people would say that about The Iliad, and look what I did to that.

This book is a retelling of the Fall of Man, in black verse. Milton was accused of giving the Devil all the best  lines, and his Devil is possibly the best I've ever seen. This epic is nearly 400 years old,  so it's hard to understand in places, but it's really not noticeable after a while.

The book surprised me. I didn't expect to like it, but I did.

Review: THE RAGAMUFFIN GOSPEL by Brennan Manning

I don't reread a lot of books, and I pay full price for each fewer, so a book I'd do both for music be special. The Ragamuffin Gospel is.

Strangely, it's not a book I enjoy reading all that much. The basic message of the book is that we're all useless. God doesn't need any of up, and there isn't a single one of us who can add more a little bit of luter to his perfection. We all come to God as beggars, or to use Manning's term, as ragamuffins.

I'm not going to lie: it's a hard book. Not because the vocabulary is advanced or because the arguments are difficult to understand; neither is true. Instead, it's hard because it draws heavily from Manning's own experience in alcohol rehab. 

There aren't many books I'd recommend everyone read once. This is one.

1Samuel 19

Saul was a very changeable man.

In one chance, he changes his mind about killing David several times and was overcome by the Holy Spirit so that he prophesied. That's why you don't want someone without a firm foundation in God as your king.

1Samuel 18

A lot of people have read more into David and Jonathan's relationship than the Bible says.

What a sad, cynical would in which men can't be friends without someone makings things up about them.

Two down, one to go. Then what?

Martin Luther and that no one should be considered a Christian who didn't know at least the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Apostles' Creed. I've tried to cover this the first time in my Wednesday point on this blog, and I hope to start the third next week. After that, I don't have any plans.

What do you think is essential for new Christians to keep? Since it's apparently hard to leave comments here, please feel free to email me at lrchroom at icloud dot com.

1Samuel 17

"Do what you can with what you have where you are."

Teddy Roosevelt said that, and while he isn't in this chapter, David and Goliath are. Most of us have heard the story but we seldom ask how David got so good with a sling. All that time in the wilderness with this sheep wasn't wasted; he was doing what he called with what he had where he was.

Review: FIFTY-ONE TALES by Lord Dunsany

The earliest works of Lord Dunsany were very short fantasy stories about the land and myths of the fictional world of Pegana. These were written around the turn of the last century.

I found this to be a very quick read. I like Dunsany's style, and thought he managed the form of the very short story well. I like old, weird fantasy, and recommend it for anyone else who does.

1Samuel 16

Even after seeing the damage that an incompetent man who happened to look kingly, Samuel was still looking for anoint.

But when God chooses a king, he looks at the heart.

Why do we trust a little kid more than we do God?

The last I heard, Heaven Is For Real was a genuine phenomenon. It's been adapted as a film, and my local Lifway has hundreds of copies in several different versions. I've already seen Heaven Is For Real for Kids and Heaven Is For Real for Teens. Can a version aimed at illiterate left-handed Moroccan golfer grannies possibly be far behind?

I've heard from a lot of people that this child's experience has really strengthened their faith. I always think the same thing: "What faith?"

It's not like God has left us in the dark about this nature of the afterlife. This Bible and especially the New Testament tells the Christian whatever he needs to know.

The Heaven described in Heaven Is For Real isn't that of the Bible. Todd Burpo is at best an extremely gullible man, and at worst an extremely evil one. Either way, Chrtistians should know better.