Review: No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy

A weekend non-fiction book review!  Because sometimes even Pastors need a break from heavy theological reading!

Jim Proser. No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy.  New York, NY: HarperLuxe, August 7th 2018. 416 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

This is the first book on James Mattis.  Mattis is probably our generation’s best combat general.  A career Marine who served in uniform for forty four years he also went on to become the Secretary of Defense and one who received nearly unanimous bipartisan support for his nomination which is quite impressive in a day and age of much political division and partisanship in the United States.  For years I have been amazed at how low profile General Mattis have been compared to how much public attention the US media has given other Army generals.  It seem overnight a few years ago Mattis started to finally receive a lot of attention and praise and usually through the medium of social media making jokes about his exploits and strength. Yet people’s hunger to know more about this tough talking and private general has only increased when news broke that Trump wanted him to be Secretary of Defense.  Personally as a Marine who served under General Mattis’ 1^st Marine Division in Iraq I am glad that the author wrote this book.  I actually think it has been long overdue.

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Quick Devotional from 1 Thessalonians 4:3 (Observation from the Greek)

This is from my daily Greek exercise of sight reading some few months ago, courtesy of Vincent S Artale Jr.

Our text is from the Greek translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:3.  Here is my translation:

“SUPPORT 3 ‹→ τοῦτο →› γάρ ἐστιν θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ ‹☉ ὁ ☉› ‹☉ ἁγιασμὸς ☉› ‹☉
For this is the will of God your sanctification

ὑμῶν ☉›

ELABORATION ‹☉ ἀπέχεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς πορνείας”
you abstain from immorality

Here are some observations:

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My Response to “Leftist” Christians bashing John Allen Chau in a Meme

If you have been following our blog this last week you would know I have written twice on the response of some to the death of missionary John Allen Chau who was killed reaching out to an unreach tribe off the coast of India.

My first post was titled “John Allen Chau and North Sentinel Island.”  My second post was titled “Double Standard of the “Christian” Left Concerning John Allen Chau.”

I made this meme to capture my response to the spirit of this day and age with the inconsistency of the world’s attack on John Allen Chau:

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I Workout to Sermon Jams

I listen to Paul Washer’s sermon jams when I work out.  And I work out not for anything vain but to be healthy for the sake of ministry and family.  So I feel Paul Washer fires me up for the Glory of God.

Here are some of his sermon jams:

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Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2018

This is our blog’s ninth year in which we post our recommendations of books as Christmas gifts on the subject of Presuppositional apologetics or the Christian worldview.

Below are links to the recommendations from previous years, and if you are new to the whole thing with Presuppositional apologetics and want something introductory I highly recommend the listing from 2014 which we highlighted in bold:

• Christmas wish list in Presuppositional Christian Apologetics (2010)
• Christmas Gift Book Lists on Christian Worldview and Apologetics Discipleship 2011 (2011)
• More Christmas Gift Book Lists on Christian Worldview and Apologetics Discipleship (2012)
• More Christmas wish list in Presuppositional Christian Apologetics (2013) (2013)
• Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2014
• Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2015
• Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2016
• Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2017

This year list’s of recommended books on Presuppositional apologetics is divided into introductory and intermediate level. Each work will have a link to my fuller review and also links to where one can purchase the book.

Here’s this year’s recommendations:

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Double Standard of the “Christian” Left Concerning John Allen Chau

The “Christian” Left isn’t really Christian.

This post isn’t about politics per se but about inconsistencies of the “Christian” Left.

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Review: The Ultimate Proof of Creation: Resolving the Origins Debate

Finally a review of this book!

Jason Lisle. The Ultimate Proof of Creation: Resolving the Origins Debate.  Green Forest, AK: Master Books, September 15th 2009. 254 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

This book was very helpful in terms of learning Presuppositional apologetics.  The author Jason Lisle is an astrophysicist who have over the years written and taught a lot on Christian apologetics and creation.  He has done the church a great service writing this book.  How good is this book?  Before when people ask me for a recommended book on Presuppositional apologetics I recommended Greg Bahnsen’s book Always Ready.  I still recommend Greg Bahnsen’s work but now I feel I want to recommend this book by Dr. Lisle first since the author has done a good job breaking it down as simple and organized as possible.

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Serve All Out in Church, Knowing Christ is Building His Church

I am writing to those who are tired and exhausted in serving the church.  I am writing this to encourage you to continue to serve God at church, and to do so by the grace of God.

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Discussion Guide: The Ultimate Proof of Creation Appendix A, B and C

the following questions might be helpful for individuals and small groups to facilitate discussions and learning based upon the apologetics’ book “Ultimate Proof of Creation” by Jason Lisle.  It is a book that teaches Presuppositional apologetics that engages apologetics at the level of worldview.  Cornelius Van Til was instrumental in beginning this form of apologetics and others have developed and applied it.

For discussion questions for previous chapters click on the following:

Introduction and Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10 and Conclusion

The questions in this post will be for appendix A, B and C of the book.  Each question is followed by page numbers in parenthesis where the answer can be found.

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John Allen Chau and North Sentinel Island

If you haven’t heard of the news there was a young man name John Allen Chau who tried to reach an uncontacted people group in the Indian Ocean and he was killed in trying to make contact.  You can read the news here.

Here I want to make some quick Christian thoughts on this news for the Christians.

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Third Week of November 2018: Presuppositional Apologetics’ Links

Here are the links related to Presuppositional apologetics gathered between November 15th-21st, 2018.

1.) Bahnsen on Circular Reasoning

2.) Review: Speaking The Truth In Love: The Theology Of John M. Frame

3.) My Top 10 Favorite Debate Moments

4.) What about Quetzalcoatl?

5.) Make Civilization Great Again!

 

Missed the last round up?  Check out the re-blogged post from a friend OR that of Another REBLOG HERE

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This Thanksgiving I’m Very Thankful for my Wife

In the United States tomorrow (Thursday) will be Thanksgiving.

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Review: Speaking The Truth In Love: The Theology Of John M. Frame

John J. Hughes. Speaking The Truth In Love: The Theology Of John M. Frame.  Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, November 1st 2009. 1118 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Westminster | Amazon

For decades John Frame has been a prolific Christian author, theologian, apologist, philosopher and churchman who has written on a wide array of topic.  This book is a festschrift honoring John Frame which means is a collection of various other theologians, apologists, and pastors writing on topics related to John Frame’s interests.  Some of the contributors are some of Evangelical’s leading scholars in their respective field.  It is a massive project coming in length of over a thousand pages and it took me some time to finish reading this after reading a few pages of this work every morning.  But I’m glad I read it as I have grown more sharper theologically and also in my critical thinking as the result of reading this work.

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Review: 12 Strong: The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers

Wow I slept in for 12 hours.  I guess I finally got over my jet lag a week later.  Here’s a review of one of the books I read during my trip.  I post this general history reading book review a little early than my usual Friday night and Saturday book reviews since I realize some might be looking for a good read for their travels for Thanksgiving whether on the road or air travels.

Doug Stanton. 12 Strong: The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers.  New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, December 1st 2017. 432 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

This book has been turned into a major motion picture.  Both the movie and the book tells us the story of a Special Forces A-Team entering into Afghanistan in the wake of the September 11^th terrorist attack and their mission fighting the Taliban and Al Qaeda.  It is an incredible story and definitely an interesting book.

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Review: Loving Your Friend through Cancer

Marissa Henley. Loving Your Friend through Cancer.  Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, May 31st 2018. 264 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Westminster | Amazon

This is tremendously helpful book on a very difficult topic of what to do when one’s friend is going through cancer.  The book is written by Marissa Henley who herself is a cancer survivor.  It took me a long time to finish the book but I am glad I read through this book slowly. It was extremely helpful and I took pages after pages of notes along the way.  In God’s providence I read this book as a pastor who at first was curious about ministering to those who have cancer as a hypothetical scenario and therefore it wasn’t a priority but then it turned out I really did needed this book in ministering to someone who really had cancer a few months after I first began this book.  I am glad this book was written as I found it immensely helpful for pastors though it was written for lay Christians in the church.  I recommend this book and rate it five out of five.

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