Review: True Community: The Biblical Practice of Koinonia

Note: I have been posting a lot of apologetics this week.  Here’s something more practical!

Jerry Bridges.  True Community: The Biblical Practice of Koinonia.  Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, October 9, 2018. 192 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

I love Jerry Bridges who have written many wonderful books on Christian holy living.  Like other books by Bridges this title was edifying and helpful.  Here in this work Jerry Bridges focuses on Christian relationship with other believers and also relationship to the church.  In our individualistic day and age this book is very relevant.

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Review: Black Wind, White Snow: The Rise of Russia’s New Nationalism

A timely weekend non-fiction book review, in light of everything going on in the World…

Charles Clover. Black Wind, White Snow.  New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, October 27, 2015. 384 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

Do you want to understand what drives the thinking of Putin’s foreign policy outlook especially in light of the consequences of what’s going on in Ukraine?  This book would be an important work you don’t want to miss.  The reason I read this book was to better understand what’s going on in Russia that shapes their foreign policy especially with the war that happened in 2022 with Ukraine after I saw it was quoted frequently from a master’s thesis on Alexander Dugin, Putin’s so called Rasputin.  The subtitle of the book is “The Rise of Russia’s New Nationalism.”  The book traces the origin and development of an idea call Euroasianism and while the subtitle is “Nationalism” Eurasianism is Russia’s political outlook that is a hybrid of Russian supremacy blended with a call for the people of the Steppes and former Soviet republics in Russia’s orbit to be one civilization.  Eurasianists would see the heartland of Russia and other Eursasians are in a clash of civilization with Atlantists and coastal and Island base people.

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Review: Batman: The Adventures Continue Season One

Pastors also need a break from heavy theological reading!  Haven’t done one of these for months, so here’s a Batman comic book review!  I actually read this back in January but forgot to write a review! 

 

Paul Dini and Alan Burnett.  Batman: The Adventures Continue Season One. Burbank, CA: DC Comics, June 1, 2021. 208 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

Do you like the Batman Animated Series from the 90s?  If so this comic might be for you!  One of the screen writers for the Animated Series is one of the writers for this “Batman: The Adventures Continue” series and there’s a feel of the 90s Animated Batman: Its gritty but also not over the top or gory, it has stories that are interesting and other characters are explored including villains.  This trade paperback collects issues 1 through 8.   

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Free PDF and Review: Greatest Prophecy Ever Fulfilled

L.R. Shelton Jr.. The Greatest Prophecy Ever Fulfilled.  Pensacola, FL: Chapel Library, April 26, 2015. 44 pp.

4 out of 5

Free: Chapel Library

Purchase: Amazon

Want to read a work that looks into the amazing prophecy of Daniel 9:20-27 concerning the prediction of the coming of Christ? You might be interested in this work!  The prophecy found in Daniel 9 with the exact timing of the coming of the Messiah is so amazing that I wanted to read this to see another Christian take on this glorious passage.  The author L.R. Shelton Jr. is the founder of Chapel Library that preserve and spread good sound Christian classic literature cheaply and for free and here he gives take on the prophecy as a Baptist minister.

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Free PDF and Review: The Holy Spirit Glorifying Christ

Note: For fans of Spurgeon have you checked out my Review: Charles Spurgeon Framed Art Print?

Charles Spurgeon. The Holy Spirit Glorifying Christ.  Pensacola, FL: Chapel Library, May 26, 2020. 24 pp.

4 out of 5

Free: Chapel Library

Purchase: Amazon

The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus, yet what implications does this have for the Christian life?  In this booklet published by Chapel Library my favorite Victorian era English preacher Charles Spurgeon answers that question.  This is based upon a sermon that Spurgeon delivered on August 17^th, 1862 yet is relevant for today.  I was blown away thinking that Spurgeon was twenty eight years old when he preached this sermon at London’s Metropolitan Tabernacle.  It made me appreciate what God has done through this man to bless God’s people than and also now with his writings.

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The Christian Tupac Apologist: Greg Bahnsen

A light humor post.

If you know know the reference to the rapper rapper name Tupac he has a lot of his songs released after his death.

My favorite apologist Greg Bahnsen is like Tupac as most of his books and audios were published and released after his death.

Bahnsen is like Tupac. Short life. Wrote a lot. Taught nonstop. Like a productive robot. More stuff came out after he got shot. Ok maybe not shot. But after his death, his content were still hot. New contents are still released and bought.

Here’s some of the books I recommend:

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Free PDF and Review: The Blood of Sprinkling and the Children

Note: For fans of Spurgeon have you checked out my Review: Charles Spurgeon Framed Art Print?

Charles Spurgeon. The Blood of Sprinkling and the Children.  Pensacola, FL: Chapel Library, September 14, 2014. 24 pp.

3 out of 5

Free: Chapel Library

Purchase: Amazon

Want to read a short but edifying devotional on the Passover in Exodus and how it points to Christ while also challenging parents to teach children the Gospel?  This devotional booklet might be for you!  This is based upon a sermon by the famous Victorian era English preacher Charles Spurgeon that he preached for a Lord’s Day church service based upon the text of Exodus 12:21-27.  While the book doesn’t say when this message was delivered, I looked it up online and found out that the sermon was originally preached on October 23, 1887.  It is amazing to think that 135 years later readers in a different century in a different Continent can find it not only relevant but refreshing.  This speaks to the testimony of how Bible based teaching that’s focus on the Gospel has staying power.

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Review: Nahum (ZECOT)

Daniel Timmer.  Nahum.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, August 4, 2020. 208 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

Are you looking for an exegetical commentary on the book of Nahum in the Minor Prophet?  This is a very good technical commentary on the book of Nahum I would recommend.  By technical I mean it’s a commentary that examine the Hebrew text of Nahum and also employ discourse analysis to point out exegetical insight of the book of Nahum.  The commentary has good grammatical and syntactical observations along with the exploration of a passage’s intertextuality.  I have previously enjoyed other volumes in the Zondervan Old Testament Exegetical Commentary Series and I consider this as another fine example in this series of how commentaries should be like.

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Review: The Modern Russian Army 1992–2016

A timely weekend non-fiction book review, in light of everything going on in the World…

Mark Galeotti. The Modern Russian Army 1992–2016.  New York, NY: Osprey Publishing, February 21, 2017. 64 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

How does the modern post-Soviet Russian military operate?  I think after February 25^th, 2022 this question might seem more relevant to many with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  This book for sixty four pages is jam pack with information and the author’s familiarity of the Russian Federation’s army and its history was very helpful for me as I read it, and I imagine many like myself are starving to understand more Russia’s operational capability of its Army.

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Review: Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents

Rod Dreher. Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents. New York, NY: Sentinel, September 29, 2020. 256 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

4 out of 5

When Totalitarian persecutions against Christians finally arrive in the West, how will you as a Christian respond and have your faith still survive?  This book explores this question with a journalistic study of how those who are religious survive with their faith in Communist Eastern Europe during the days of the Cold War with lessons learned that’s important for Christians in the West to learn about.  Before you think this book is irrelevant and conspiracy theory the author argues that there’s a rise in the West of softer form of Totalitarianism than past secular tyranny like Marxists states but still there’s a rise of society marginalizing, canceling and attacking conservative Christians with historic and biblical moral values and ethics.  For these reasons this book became one of the important talked about book in 2020 and relevant in a post-2020 world.

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Review: The Box: Answering the Faith of Unbelief

Later post today!  First weekend of the month is usually very busy with ministry and I fell asleep on my computer trying to finish this book!

Craig Biehl. The Box: Answering the Faith of Unbelief.  Franklin, TN: Carpenter’s Son Publishing, November 10, 2014. 160 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase:  Amazon

Are you looking for a resource that shows what an evangelistic dialogue with an unbeliever from a Presuppositional apologetics’ perspective looks like, for the purpose of training and being spiritually equipped?  The author Craig Biehl has given us a great resources with his book The Box.  While coming from a Presuppositional Apologetics perspective (the author has a PhD from Westminster Theological Seminary, the school where Cornelius Van Til, the father of Presuppositional Apologetics once taught at) it is written with a pastoral heart for the general audience and with as little technical jargon as possible.  I appreciate that.  I suspect many Christians who pick up this book will too.

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Review: Reprobation and God’s Sovereignty

Peter Sammons. Reprobation and God’s Sovereignty: Recovering A Biblical Doctrine.  Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, January 25, 2022. 296 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

How much do you know and understand the doctrine of reprobation both biblically and how it developed in historical theology through the history of the church?  In his first published book author Peter Sammons explore the historical dimension of this doctrine in church history but here in this book the author Peter Sammons work on biblically recovering this doctrine that is often misunderstood and slandered.  It has been my observation that there are many books that have been written on predestination and election of those who are saved and not as many discussion about reprobation of the lost even though one hear reprobation gets brought up as an objection against Calvinism/Reformed Theology.  It is in light of this consideration that I appreciate author Peter Sammons tackling this subject with care and nuances concerning human will, God’s sovereignty, causation, agency, God’s goodness, etc, and do so with the intent and desire to be biblical.  This subject as it is discussed online and in person seem to generally generate a lot more heat than light and Sammons’ writing isn’t emotionally driven which I appreciate.  I recognize that not everyone reading my review are necessarily Reformed in their theology but I think Sammons has given us a book that one must interact with if one want to consider an academic presentation of this doctrine from a Reformed proponent.  Even for those who consider themselves Reformed already this book is worth getting since so little is often discussed about this doctrine that this book is worthwhile to ensure one understand this accurately and also to be nuanced.

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Review: The Battle for the Beginning: The Bible on Creation and the Fall of Adam

Note: I am posting this review on the eve of #questionevolutionday taking place on February 12th.  This is where Christians using that hashtag share contents on apologetics, Creationism, the problem of evolution, etc, on social media, and I’ve seen it being active on Facebook and Twitter.  It is organized by my dear friend Cowboy Bob Sorensen who blogs here and I encourage you

John MacArthur. The Battle for the Beginning: The Bible on Creation and the Fall of Adam.  Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishing Company, June 4, 2001.  240 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

What does the first three chapters of Genesis have to say about the world we live in?  In this book by Pastor and Teacher John MacArthur we have an exposition of Genesis 1-3 covering largely the topic of God’s creation of the world and also how sin entered the world.  This was adapted from MacArthur’s sermon series of these passages.  The topic of creation and creation views are no doubt controversial among Christians today and MacArthur’s main focus in the book is to expound from the text of Scripture and he lands on a young earth creationist view.

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Free Audiobook: By What Standard? An Analysis of the Philosophy of Cornelius Van Til

Last year I read and wrote a review of one of the early apologetics books that popularized the method of Presuppositional Apologetics that was taught by Cornelius Van Til here: Review: By What Standard? An Analysis of the Philosophy of Cornelius Van Til

Apparently the book is now available as an audiobook online! And its available for free!

It is divided by chapters too!  That’s helpful for listeners.

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Free PDF and Review: Reforming a Local Church

Ernest Resinger. Reforming a Local Church.  Pensacola, FL: Chapel Library, June 4, 2015. 40 pp.

4 out of 5

Free: Chapel Library

Purchase: Amazon

This is a famous essay by Pastor Ernest Resinger who is an important leader with the conservative resurgence in the Southern Baptist Convention.  This essay is about reforming a local church and while his original address was many decades ago for the context of the SBC denomination the applications and principles here applies for those in other denominations as well.  This booklet is both edifying and challenging.

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