Free PDF and Review: Fatherhood (Free Grace Broadcaster)

Various Authors. Fatherhood.  Pensacola, FL: Chapel Library, June 20, 2014. 48 pp.

5 out of 5

Free: Chapel Library

Purchase: Amazon

What does the Bible have to say about fatherhood and also what are the insights of various historic Protestant preachers and pastors have from the Bible on fatherhood?  This booklet is a great resource for that.  It was originally an issue from the Free Grace Broadcaster from 2014 but the truth found in its pages is timeless.  There’s various compiled writings from John Calvin, A.W Pink, Richard Baxter, William Gurnall and Thomas Watson.  This is my second Free Grace Broadcaster I read.  The earlier one I read was on Messianic Prophecies.  Like the first one this particular booklet too was a spiritual delight!

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Review: I Belong: Heidelberg Catechism Question and Answer One for Children

For this week’s “Wee-kids” Wednesdays here’s a review of a Christian children’s book.

Joyce Holstege.  I Belong: Heidelberg Catechism Question and Answer One for Children.  Jenison, MI: Reformed Free Publishing Association, October 4^th, 2022. 46 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Reformed Free Publishing Association

Are you looking for a children’s picture book that goes over biblical truths for children to learn about God, Jesus and the Bible especially from a biblical perspective?  If so this book is for you.  It is a devotional explanation of the Heidelberg Catechism Question and Answer 1 which raises the question “What is Thy Only comfort in Life and Death?”  It is meant for ages four to eight to be read by the parents or older children.  I appreciate that the publishers Reformed Free Publishing Association printed a resource for families such as this title.  I enjoyed this so much I do wish the author, illustrator and publisher would consider publishing other books like this one on other Heidelberg Catechism Question and Answers.

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Review: Two Biblical Counseling Booklets for Single Parents

Quick note before I get to my book reviews: WordPress notified me that I’ve been blogging on here for 16 years!

Two book reviews below: I found the first one to minister more to the heart than the second; but the second was helpful with making readers consider many other issues related to single parents.

Carol Trahan.  Help! I’m a Single Mom.  Wapwallopen, PA: Shepherd Press, March 15, 2011. 60 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

While researching to teach a session on single parents I picked up this biblical counseling booklet to read and I found it very helpful.  The author is a biblical counselor and teacher for women’s conference.  She’s also a single mother and her story in the beginning of the booklet was sad and moving and would lead readers to appreciate her insight with her loss and tragedy.  As a pastor I thought this booklet went more for the heart rather than being practical about actions per se but this is very good and I as a pastor have several copies on hand ready to give out.  These biblical counseling booklets from Shepherds Press are such precious gold and their insights are very helpful and its wonderful that so much can be jammed packed in a small booklet of under sixty pages.

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Free PDF and Review: Saul’s Conversion by George Whitefield

What have you been reading lately?

George Whitefield. Saul’s Conversion. Pensacola, FL: Chapel Library, June 11, 2020. 24 pp.

4 out of 5

Free: Chapel Library

Purchase: Amazon

Can God use the persecution of Christians for the good of bringing nonbelievers to Christ?  Christians would know the right answer is yes yet many would not to be persecuted if they don’t have to be.  In this booklet famous preacher and evangelist George Whitefield wrote us something encouraging and edifying with a look at Saul and how God changed this man that persecuted the church to become an Apostle and incredible Gospel preacher name Paul.  While George Whitefield delivered us his words hundreds of years ago (he lived from 1714 to 1770) I think what he has to say is relevant for 21^st Century believers as the world gets more secular and persecutions of Christians is on the rise worldwide.

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Review: Can We Trust the Gospels?

Peter Williams. Can We Trust the Gospels?  Wheaton, IL: Crossway, November 30, 2018.  153 pp

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

Want a good book that summarize the apologetics for the Gospels being trustworthy by a reputable New Testament scholar?  Consider picking up Peter Williams’ book Can We Trust the Gospels?  The author is a principle of Tyndale House at Cambridge that leads in biblical research.  The publisher Crossway has provided Christians a great resource and the author was able to summarize the case for the Gospels within the one hundred fifty page range and still gives us readers great food for thoughts and summary of new arguments by other apologists, and scholars.

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Review: Angry Children: Understanding And Helping Your Child Regain Control

The next few weeks I’ll be reviewing various booklets on parenting in light of my preparation to teach overseas.

Michael Emlet.  Angry Children: Understanding And Helping Your Child Regain Control.  Greensboro, NC: New Growth  Press, April 28, 2008. 24 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

What help is there for a parent of an angry child?  This biblical booklet addressing the parent on this issue is helpful.  It is a from a minibook series published by New Growth Press which feature booklets authored by various counselors from the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF).  The author Michael Emlet is a faculty member of CCEF and a family physician before becoming a biblical counselor.  I appreciate with his background he is still able to write in a way that’s accessible for the general Christian reader.  It was a worthwhile resource for Biblical and Pastoral Counselors to give parents who are are parenting an angry child.

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Review: Helping Your Anxious Child

The next few weeks I’ll be reviewing various booklets on parenting in light of my preparation to teach overseas.

Julie Lowe.  Helping Your Anxious Child: What to Do When Worries Get Big.  Greensboro, NC: New Growth  Press, September 10, 2018. 24 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

How does a parent and an adult minister to an anxious child?  This book was helpful and edifying.  It is a part of the “minibook” series published by New Growth Press and authored by various counselors from the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation.  The author Julie Lowe is a faculty in the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation has written articles and other resources on biblical counseling concerning ministering to children and parenting.  This particular book is an excellent resource for Biblical and Pastoral Counselors to give parents who are burdened to minister to their worrying child.

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Review: Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Two

Pastors also need a break from heavy theological reading!  So here’s a Batman comic book review!   

Paul Dini and Alan Burnett.  Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Two. Burbank, CA: DC Comics, June 14, 2022. 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!  Earlier this year I read and reviewed Batman: The Adventures Continue Season One.   I enjoyed it a lot and I felt it was one of the better works published by DC Comics these days since sometimes new materials seems to be filler, too much backstory, it was too dark, the story was lame or the creative team was advancing socially divisive agenda.  I just want good story telling and both this one and the earlier volume delivered.  Plus this echoed the artwork and characters of Batman the animated series as a kid and I got nostalgic joy reading both books.  This trade paperback edition that collects the second year’s issues (season 2 issues 1 through 7).  They even had one of the screen writers from the Animated Series as one of the writers for this “Batman: The Adventures Continue” series.

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Review: The Question of Canon

Michael Kruger.  The Question of Canon: Challenging the Status Quo in the New Testament Debate.  Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, October 3, 2013.  256 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

This book is not your ordinary standard book on the New Testament Canon.  Instead the book focuses on some more foundational questions concerning the canon of the New Testament.  The overall focus of the book critiques the external model of the Canon; while not totally dismissing it the book argues that it is problematic to hold to a reductionist external model of the canon.  This book was very informative and I was blessed to understand better the canon of the New Testament and also church history related to the New Testament canon.  The author Michael Kruger has written for Christians a valuable scholarship work for theology, theology of the canon and apologetics.

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Free PDF and Review: Trembling at the Word of the Lord

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

Charles Spurgeon. Trembling at the Word of the Lord.  Pensacola, FL: Chapel Library, August 4, 2021. 16 pp.

4 out of 5

Free: Chapel Library

Purchase: Amazon

How do you react to the Word of God?  We are living in an age where there’s irreverence to the Word of God.  This past week of dealing with those who attack God’s Word made me want to read this booklet to nourish my soul.  A few page into this Spurgeon’s word leaped out at me when he said  “Oh, it is ill with a man’s soul, be sure of that, when he can treat the Word of the Lord with lightness, and regard it as no more than the word of Shakespeare or Spencer.”  How much even more so is the ill of a man’s soul that openly mock and slander God’s Word!  This booklet is based upon a sermon on Isaiah 66:2 that Spurgeon preached in 1889.  Even though it is over a hundred years old nevertheless the message about trembling and respecting God’s Word is relevant even for the Twenty first century.

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Review: Introduction to Logic by Jason Lisle

Jason Lisle. Introduction to Logic.  Green Forest, AK: Master Books, December 10, 2018. 192 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

Do you want to improve your reasoning ability as a Christian?  Christian apologist Jason Lisle has written for us an introduction to the laws of logic.  Some who read this review might be thinking: Christian and logic?  Yes the two are compatible.  Jason Lisle’s book on logic follow a long tradition of Christian works on logic such as hymn writer Isaac Watts in 1725 with his Logic: The Right Use of Reason in the Inquiry after Truth, Methodist founder John Wesley’s A Compendium Of Logic, and Gordon Clark’s textbook on logic, etc.  Jason Lisle himself is an astrophysicist who is involved with Creation ministries and previously I enjoyed his book titled Ultimate Proof that give a detailed introduction to Presuppositional Apologetics.  Seeing how good Dr Lisle writes I was looking for a book that I can introduced my daughters to the laws of logic and critical thinking and this book exceeded my expectation!

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Review: Contagious Disciple Making

David Watson and Paul Watson. Contagious Disciple Making: Leading Others on a Journey of Discovery.  Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishing Company, December 1, 2014.  256 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

What would be a worthwhile book to read concerning discipleship, mentoring and ministry and missions in a cross-cultural context?  While I don’t agree with everything in this book I think this book is worthwhile to read for food for thought and the parts I think that are good are very helpful.  The co-authors are father and son who have done missions overseas in Asia and are also consultants for ministry in other areas including the West and Africa.

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Free PDF and Review: Biblical Elders and Deacons Nehemiah Coxe

Nehemiah Coxe. Biblical Elders and Deacons.  Pensacola, FL: Chapel Library, August 25, 2015. 32 pp.

4 out of 5

Free: Chapel Library

Purchase: Amazon

Are you looking for a work that covers biblically what are elders in the church, deacons and their relationship with members of the church?  Check this work out by English Particular Baptist Nehemiah Coxe!  This work is biblical, practical, convicting and yet encouraging. It made me think about my church and led me to pray for the church to be more strengthen with leaders who can be biblical.

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Review: Common Law and Natural Law in America: From the Puritans to the Legal Realists

Andrew Forsyth. Common Law and Natural Law in America: From the Puritans to the Legal Realists.  New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, May 23, 2019. 168 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

What is the relationship of Christianity, Natural Law and Common Law in American Legal history?  This book answers the question.  The author Andrew Forsyth has his PhD from Yale on this topic.  This book itself is part of the Cambridge University Press’ Law and Christianity Series, an academic series that has ecumenical contributors.  Forsyth in this volume tracks the shift with the understanding of what is the relationship of Natural Law and English Common Law (and also of course the relationship of Christianity as the background), where it becomes secular in the end.  Forsyth did a good job in the book of the historical work.

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Review: Doc Savage: The Ring of Fire

A weekend fun comicbook reading review…because sometimes a Pastors need a break from heavy reading!

David Avallone.  Doc Savage: The Ring of Fire.  Runnemede, NJ: Dynamite Entertainment, November 14, 2017.  96 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

Have you heard of the pulp comic book hero name Doc Savage?  This is the first time I read a story about Doc Savage, a character that is popular in pulp magazine stories in the 1930s and 1940s.  In this modern retelling of Doc Savage in comic book form by Dynamite Entertainment the story takes place in 1938 and involves Pacific Island, secret conspiracy plots and also the Japanese Navy and fascinating of all Amelia Earhart.  If you know your history you would remember Amelia Earhart was a woman famous pilot who unfortunately disappeared in her plan in the Pacific.

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