The Masculine Mandate: God's Calling to Men Review

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The Masculine Mandate: God's Calling to Men ReviewIf you have read Rev. Richard Phillips' earlier book, Jesus the Evangelist, you know that instead of developing his own theories, passing on worldly wisdom, or even quoting great theologians, he teaches straight from the Bible. His new book is no exception. There is almost enough Scripture in The Masculine Mandate for it to be called a commentary.
What is the masculine mandate? Phillips says that, "Rather than following the American stereotype of cold, macho masculinity, Christian men should seek to grow in their ability genuinely to bless others." He points to this mandate in Genesis chapter 2, which "shows that God created man for a purpose. God ordained that Adam would bear His image both in his person and in his work, and God put Adam in the world to work it and keep it--to be a cultivator and a protector."
Men today, like Adam in Genesis chapter 2, are called to "work" and "keep." "God put Adam in the garden `to work it and keep it' and the only difference between Adam's calling and ours lies in the details of how we seek to fulfill it." What are some of the areas where men are called to be workers and keepers? The author concentrates on five: employment, marriage, children, friends, and the church.
Men have the responsibility to work hard to glorify God through employment. They are to be good husbands, loving their wife "as Christ loved the church." They are to be godly fathers who both disciple and discipline their children. They are to be friends to the men whom God has put in their lives. And they are to serve and lead in the church.
Though all are good and helpful, my favorite chapters are the two that deal with a man's responsibility toward his children: "To Work: The Discipling of Children," and, "To Keep: The Discipline of Children." Notice the difference in discipling and discipline. A man should, as the leader of his house, disciple his children. The most important matter is to win their hearts. Love, affection, and attention are essential:
"The great issue of parental discipleship is directing the hearts of our children to the Lord. Instead of a mere focus on behavior or bodily presence, wise and loving parents seek to touch and win the hearts of their boys and girls....Our children must gain from us what they most desire: our affection, our approval, our attention, our involvement, and our time."
Another favorite chapter is the one on friendship. Phillips puts this easily overlooked aspect of faith in its proper perspective:
"One of the best ways for us to serve the Lord, to reflect His glory in the world and fulfill God's calling on us as men, is to step off the sidelines of life, to offer our time and compassion to friends in need, and to speak words of truth and grace that lead them to (or back to) the Lord. In this way, we will also grow more and more in the likeness of Jesus Christ ourselves."
The Masculine Mandate has several strengths. The author is clear about where he stands on issues. He writes with authority. If men want to learn to be leaders, they need strong leaders. Richard Phillips fits that role. And he does so with humility. It's clear where Phillips derives his authority. Nearly every idea is backed up by and flows directly from Scripture. There are few quotes from other books (only 25 total footnotes), but there are Bible passages on nearly every page (the Scripture index is four pages long). And Phillips has the gift of teaching and applying them.
There are specific applications. The pastor teaches the theology, but he also gives the reader clear, specific ways to apply the teaching. It is a practical, helpful, and realistic book. Phillips realizes that men are, after all, men. We have limitations. We aren't fully sanctified. And he admits that he isn't, either. But he sets the goal before us. Another plus: at the end of the book are questions for reflection and discussion from each chapter, making this book ideal for a men's group study.
This is a good, needed book. I recommend it to men, young and old. And I plan to read it again. I've already identified several areas of manhood that I need to work on.
In our culture, we have a messed up idea of what it means to be a man. We need books like this to point us back to what's important:
"A Christian man should live, work, and play with an eye on the coming glory of Jesus Christ. His return in glory is not a fable, a fantasy, or science fiction. It is certain future history--it is going to happen, and relatively soon. How should we then live? How should we measure things happening in our lives? The answer is that we should live now in the light of the future that is certain to come."
I received a review copy of this book from Reformation Trust.
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Sharpen Your Discernment Review

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Sharpen Your Discernment ReviewA wonderful book that considers many areas, not all, that a Spirit-filled believer should and would be concerned about! If you want to get a biblical grasp of how discernment works, this book is for you. What I like about this pentecostal perspective of discernment is his grounding in the Word of God, not emotions. He convinces you that you can move with the Spirit of God and be scripturally grounded. If you are seeing visions, etc. and they don't line up with the Word, then guess where they are coming from. Yes, it can be that simple! An especially helpful, insightful and prophetic part of the book is the "Sharpening Your Discernment" chapter, subsection Discernment and Charity. He describes what Christian love (agape) is based on what the Lord says and not the current "soulish" luv! Compromising with the truth and being a "peacekeeper" for the sake of ecumenism or unity is not love. Jesus was a "Peacemaker" who sets the example, along with the rest of the Word. Buy this book, pray while reading this book, and especially, be guided by the Word of God and the Spirit while reading this book and you will advance against the kingdom of this world!Sharpen Your Discernment Overview

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Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church Review

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Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church ReviewIt is no small thing to take upon oneself the name Christian. Though it was first used as a form of derision when unbelievers mocked the "little Christs," the name was embraced by the earliest believers. The term, even when used mockingly, nicely encapsulated what they sought to do, namely, to imitate their Lord and Savior. Sadly, in the centuries since then, the word has become far too ambiguous and now refers to any number of faiths that, in one way or another, honor or respect Christ or that have some historical connection to his teachings. Amazingly, some of those called by the name of Christ actually deny him--perhaps not his existence but at least his uniqueness and his divinity. In Christless Christianity Michael Horton argues that such denial of Christ may not be too far from home. More and more evangelical churches, he says, are now essentially Christless. "Aside from the packaging, there is nothing that cannot be found in most churches today that could not be satisfied by any number of secular programs and self-help groups." Many churches have tossed out Christ and continue on without him, sometimes not even realizing that he has been lost along the way.
This is not to say that American evangelicalism has already reached a point of no return or that every church has rejected Christ. "I am not arguing in this book that we have arrived at Christless Christianity," says Horton, "but that we are well on our way. ... My concern is that we are getting dangerously close to the place in everyday American church life where the Bible is mined for `relevant' quotes but is largely irrelevant on its own terms; God is used as a personal resource rather than known, worshiped and trusted; Jesus Christ is a coach with a good game plan for our victory rather than a Savior who has already achieved it for us; salvation is more a matter of having our best life now than being saved from God's judgment by God himself; and the Holy Spirit is an electrical outlet we can plug into for the power we need to be all that we can be." Jesus has become supplemental instead of instrumental to the church. As the church has focused on "deeds, not creeds" she has become increasingly irrelevant and unfaithful. Church has become just another area in which Americans can live out the American dream. "In my view, we are living out our creed, but that creed is closer to the American Dream than it is to the Christian faith. The claim I am laying out in this book is that the most dominant form of Christianity today reflects `a zeal for God' that is nevertheless without knowledge--particularly, as Paul himself specifies, the knowledge of God's justification of the wicked by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, apart from works."
Amazingly, it is not theological liberalism that has drawn the church away from her creed, away from her biblical foundation. Instead, it is a kind of unbearable lightness--a faith that eschews biblical theology in favor of whatever happens to be the flavor of the day. Says Horton, "My argument in this book is not that evangelicalism is becoming theologically liberal but that it is becoming theologically vacuous. ... We come to church, it seems, less to be transformed by the Good News than to celebrate our own transformation and to receive fresh marching orders for transforming ourselves and our world. ... Just as you don't really need Jesus Christ in order to have T-shirts and coffee mugs, it is unclear to me why he is necessary for most of the things I hear a lot of pastors and Christians talking about in church these days."
Horton offers a description of this brand of "Christianity" that pervades so much of the evangelical scene these days. Following sociologist Christian Smith, he calls it moralistic, therapeutic deism. It offers this kind of working theology: God created the world; God wants people to be good, nice and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and most world religions; The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself; God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when needed to resolve a problem; Good people go to heaven when they die. Pause to consider much of the teaching you might find on your television on a Sunday morning and you'll see how apt a description this is. Horton traces this through Finney, through modern day Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism and into the pulpits of Joel Osteen and other popular smooth talking preachers. He describes the kind of can-do spirit that allows such preachers to thrive. "When looking for ultimate answers, we turn within ourselves, trusting our own experience rather than looking outside ourselves to God's external Word." And here is where the Osteen's of the world are so skilled--they simply reflect and direct human wisdom back at humans all the while pretending as if they gleaned this wisdom from the Word of God. He shows that such preachers, while appearing to perhaps teach a kind of freedom from the law, actually do the opposite, burdening people with a new kind of legalism. "One could easily come away from this type of message concluding that we are not saved by Christ's objective work for us but by our subjective personal relationship with Jesus through a series of works that we perform to secure his favor and blessing. God has set up all of these laws, and now it's up to us to follow them so we can be blessed." This kind of Christianity makes God merely a means to an end rather than an end in and of himself.
In an insightful chapter discussing "how we turn good news into good advice," Horton shows how Christians are prone to turn indicatives into imperatives. In other words, we take a statement of fact and turn it into an exhortation. This, too, drives people to a form of legalism in which they are ultimately responsible for their own salvation and sanctification, even without understanding or embracing the gospel message. "Across the board in contemporary American Christianity, that basic message seems to be some form of law (do this) without gospel (this is what has been done)." He deals well here with the constant exhortations in the church today to "be the gospel," amazed at the hubris of such a statement. "[Unbelievers] may not like our message anyway, but at least they might be relieved that we have stopped holding ourselves up as the way, the truth, and the life. If the message the church proclaims makes sense without conversion, if it does not offend even lifelong believers from time to time so that they too need to die more to themselves and live more to Christ, then it is not the gospel." St. Francis' exhortation to "Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary use words" has never offended a soul.
Final chapters look to "your own personal Jesus" and the resurgence of Gnosticism and to "delivering Christ," examining the relationship between the message and the medium. Horton notes that men like Barna and so many others are advocating a wholesale abandonment of the institutional church. "Instead of churching the unchurched," he laments, "we are well on our way to even unchurching the churched." Here he speaks of the critical importance of the local church and says "the faithful ministry of Word, sacrament, and discipline is the mission" of the church. "A genuinely evangelical church will be an evangelistic church: a place where the gospel is delivered through Word and sacrament and a people who witness to it in the world." He calls for the church to narrow its commission from fixing all of the world's ills to simply returning to the basics. "The church as people--scattered as salt and light through the week--has many different callings, but the church as place (gathered publicly by God's summons each Lord's Day) has one calling: to deliver (and receive) Christ through preaching and sacrament." Of course Christians, the church as people, should pursue justice and peace, but this ought to be done through common grace institutions along side non-Christians rather than through the church as a place. The church needs to mind its own business and get its own house in order.
In the final chapter, Horton calls for resistance. "What is called for in these days, as in any other time, is a church that is a genuine covenantal community defined by the gospel rather than a service provider defined by laws of the market, political ideologies, ethnic distinctives, or other alternatives to the catholic community that the Father is creating by his Spirit in his Son. For this, we need nothing less than a new Christian where the only demographic that matters is in Christ."
Through all of this I'd suggest the most important statement in the book may just be this: "It is not heresy as much as silliness that is killing us softly." This is where the book may be most useful for the conservative Christians who are the audience most likely to read it. All of us can fall into silliness without tossing aside the gospel. We can hold fast to Christian theology, even while allowing silliness and levity to pervade the very fabric of our church. A once-serious institution can become overrun by programs and purposes that slowly erode the gravity and simplicity of the church's unique calling. This book is a call for the church to return to its biblical foundations and to remain true to those convictions. It is a clarion call and one that Christians would do well to heed. Christless Christianity is an excellent and timely book and one I would not hesitate to recommend to any Christian.Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church Overview

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Bible Doctrine Review

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Bible Doctrine ReviewThis condensed version of Grudem's Systemtic Theology, edited by Jeff Purswell, is an excellent resource for any library. Most pastors and teachers will probably stick with the larger volume, but for laypeople, this edition is hard to beat.
I have used this book in teaching Sunday School, and have been fairly impressed with the editorial decisions made. The book is accessible and yet meaty. Added are review questions and a very helpful glossary. Highly recommended!Bible Doctrine Overview

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Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology Review

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Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology ReviewI have taught theology at the college level for 15 years (including among my students "Captain Bloodloss," one of this book's reviewers), and have found it consistently to be the finest, most readable introduction to Christian theology on the market. Migliore has the genius to draw traditional ideas and formulations into creative interaction with contemporary concerns about ecology, justice and sexism.
His central motif is the doctrine of the Trinity as the church's testimony to the self-giving, other-receiving, community-forming love that God has demonstrated to the world through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. I think he hews consistently and beautifully to this motif as his theological norm. His writing breathes new and exciting life into every doctrine he considers.
I love this book.Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology Overview

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The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way Review

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The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way ReviewThis work by Michael Horton may be the finest systematic theology since Berkhof's classic which I believe was written in the 1930's. Clear, insightful and what I would call a page turner. It is so full of theological jewels I often found myself excited to turn the page or anxiously wanting to get back to reading it after a short break.
Written in a style that is easily reachable even for the common layman, Horton weaves historic, biblical and systematic theology in a way that highlights not only the truth of Scripture but why and how the Christian world-view is necessarily antithetical to pagan and atheistic world-views. Horton has written his text in a manner much different than many systematics. He writes in a style almost like telling a story. His writing style definitely holds the readers attention and is not the dry technical style found in many systematic theologies.
Dr. Horton, writes from a consistently reformed and covenantal perspective. That said, the author understands covenant not as a system forced upon the Bible but one that naturally raises from text itself. The Bible is inherently covenantal in that it is God's own record of His own covenant making and keeping redemptive drama from eternity to eternity. Therefore, covenant becomes the motif for properly understanding God's redemptive purpose and the biblical doctrines that reveal it. God's covenants have a goal. Therefore, eschatology is not merely a stand-alone doctrine but the lens through which we read all scripture. Covenant and eschatology become central to our understanding of ontology, epistemology and all of history. The author interacts with past and current philosophies and theologies as he writes, unpacking the doctrines of the Bible in their historical-redemptive setting.
There are three very helpful tools at the end of the hard copy for the new or not highly trained theology reader. The first is a glossary of terms. The author has given short definitions to key theological terms, Latin phrases and historical events, theological systems and theological movements. This will prove to be very helpful for someone just beginning their dive into serious theological reading. The second tool is Dr. Horton's annotated bibliography of recommended reading. This list is broken down by doctrine and each work is listed as beginner, intermediate, and advanced. With this reading list, the student is directed into a lifetime of great theological reading. Finally, the author has supplied not just a scripture index but on for the reformational creeds and catechisms sited in this work. This could prove to very helpful for the teacher seeking to cross-reference this systematic theology and the creeds and confessions.
It is a rare systematic theology that can prove to be helpful to both the pastor-teacher and the layman. I can't wait to get this into the hands of our congregation. Dr. Horton's, "The Christian Faith" is written not just to promote sound theology, but consistent thinking and living pilgrims growing in faith in Christ.
A must have for anyone seriously interested good theology. Makes a great gift for your pastor, Bible school student or anyone interested in mastering the great truths of the BibleThe Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way Overview

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Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine Review

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Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine ReviewThough I have found immense help in Dr. Grudem's book over the past months, I have post-poned a review in order to get a complete reading of it first. Now that I have read it all, I can say that this may be the best systematic theology written in the 20th century.
Dr. Grudem combines theological insight, practical application, and faithful exegesis of Scripture with simple, uncomplicated language and clear thinking. The result? The most readable and informative Systematic Theology one could desire. Every chapter starts with a question and ends with application questions and a hymn! Education is turned into exaltation over and over again as Grudem moves you from deep thinking to appropriate feeling about the greatest truths in the universe.
The arrangement of topics is typical. Grudem covers the doctrine of God, man, Christ, salvation, church, and last things. Like any book of this magnitude, it has strengths and weaknesses. But the strengths are more than the weaknesses. The section on theology proper (the doctrine of God) is outstanding. Grudem's explanation of the Trinity is very helpful avoiding both modalism and arianism. His treatment of God's character and attributes is especially good, arguing strongly against the "open" view of God and process theology.
The chapters on Creation and Providence are also very well-done containing lengthy Scriptural arguments for his position. His soteriology is Reformed and not much different than you would get from Berkhof or Murray. Still good, though.
Grudem spends much time discussing the Holy Spirit (though the chapters are scattered around the book and not in one section)and especially the church. His understanding of the nature of the church is excellent avoiding denominationalism, yet affirming a very Biblically-grounded argument for plural elders governing a congregational church. He is baptistic in polity, though not dogmatic on the issue. He believes that charismatic gifts are still current in the church today, but is wary of extremes. Whether one agrees with Grudem or not on this issue, he should be read, because he approaches the subject from a scholarly standpoint with supreme concern for the text of Scripture. One can't afford to neglect his arguments in forming their opinions (I still somewhat unsettled on many questions relating to this and so do not write from a bias.)
On last things, Grudem defends historic premillenialism and presents some thoughtful arguments to both amillenialism and dispensational pre-tribulation premillenialists. He should be read here. But again, he proceeds with caution.
The weakest chapter of the book is the one on the Atonement. Although Grudem provides some excellent scholarship on the question of Christ's "descent into hell" here, there is a lack of depth in his treatment of this most glorious doctrine. Berkhof and Gill are better.
Overall this is an excellent book. It's greatest strength is its textual basis. Grudem's chief concern is to be Scriptural and for the most part he succeeds well. You don't have to be a theologian to read this book. But you will become a theologian if you do.Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine Overview

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What Did You Expect?: Redeeming the Realities of Marriage Review

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What Did You Expect: Redeeming the Realities of Marriage Review
My wife and I were able to sit through a recent marriage conference by Paul Tripp on Redeeming the Realities of Marriage. If you can go to one of his conferences, it is a great opportunity to enjoy a weekend together and talk through some of the areas that present growth opportunities in marriage.
Attending the live event is beneficial, but Tripp's book What Did You Expect: Redeeming the Realities of Marriage is based on the material from the conference. Tripp begins by examining the "essential wisdom perspectives that Scripture gives us for a realistic expectation of marriage": 1) you are conducting your marriage in a fallen world; 2) you are a sinner married to a sinner; 3) God is faithful, powerful, and willing. Tripp then examines the centrality of worship in all of life and the importance of it in a proper understanding of marriage. We should especially view our marriage in light of the Kingdom of God because we are tempted to be about the process of building our own kingdoms in our life and our marriage. Our marriages will find healing as we align our lives with God's Kingdom.
After explaining the importance of seeing your marriage in light of the Kingdom of God, Tripp structures the book by explaining six commitments that will encourage a lifestyle for a healthy and strong marriage:
1. We will give ourselves to a regular lifestyle of confession and forgiveness.
2. We will make growth and change our daily agenda.
3. We will work together to build a sturdy bond of trust.
4. We will commit to building a relationship of love.
5. We will deal with our differences with appreciation and grace.
6. We will work to protect our marriage.
Each commitment has 2-3 chapters that explains the particular commitment and places it in light of the big picture of the book.
If you have read some of Tripp's other books (such as Instruments in the Hands of the Redeemer or War of Words), you will recognize some of the material. Tripp is applying the aspect of heart change and the gospel of grace to the area of marriage, but even if you have read the other works, this particular study on marriage is important. It would be wise to use this material not only for current marital growth, but also pre-marital counseling as we attempt to prepare couples for the realities of marriage.What Did You Expect: Redeeming the Realities of Marriage Overview

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