The Mr. and our dog, walking up Mt. Tabor on Christmas day.

This year has been a good stretch for me. Right now, I feel genuinely appreciative of all that I have and all that I accomplished this year. My husband and I bought our first home in 2009, got our finances together, I started this blog and, for the first time in my life, I have specific long-term goals and plans. I’m especially grateful for the health of my friends and family. All-in-all, I feel very blessed.

I don’t really have resolutions for 2010 just yet. Maybe I will in the weeks ahead. I feel like 2009 was a paradigm-shifting year in many regards for me, so really I’d just like to refine my new habits and goals and continue towards them in 2010. I want to keep creating a healthy financial picture, a comfortable home, five-times-a-week blog posts, and more DIY projects for home and gifts. I’d like to get back to painting and exercising more, so those are certainly goals to work towards.

In the spirit of the New Year I’m going to recommend a somewhat off-topic book. If you’re looking for a way to jump-start your year and you’re feeling open to change, I highly recommend The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.

Now, I don’t really enjoy or subscribe to self-help books for the most part. On the few occasions I’ve picked them up, I last about twenty pages before sentencing the book to the “donate or sell” pile. Self-help books just aren’t my cup of tea. I generally find them boring and condescending. Except for this one.

Seven Habits is not new. It was first published in 1989. Many of you have probably already heard of it or read it. But it did change my life, so I’m willing to go out on a limb a bit. Here were my takeaways from this book (everyone’s will be different):

• Relationships are fundamentally peaceful.
• Most people pay little mind to the details of my life.
• I can be open.
• I can behave in more trustworthy ways.
• I want to understand.
• I like peaceful interactions and collaborations.
• Love is a verb.

I should be clear, these are not the messages of this book. In fact, I believe it is marketed primarily as a business book. These were just my takeaways. They are simple paradigms that have dramatically re-directed the way I live my life. The book and the “habits” led me to these conclusions, but didn’t dictate them. If you read this book, your takeaways will be different. And that’s why this book is as good as it is. You have to make it relevant to your life and your goals. It’s not really an easy formula or prescription. It’s a model that you can make your own, to further your own goals, and better your quality of life and the lives of others.

So, that’s it for my off-topic post. I’ll be back to blogging about decorating, cooking, budgeting, and DIYing on Monday. I’ll also be sharing pictures of my new dining room paint color next week. Happy 2010!

“I paint self portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best.”

~ Frida Kahlo

detail of Vintage, 2008, oil on canvas

“A picture has a logic that can’t be verbalized until afterwards; it can’t be designed. We talk about thinking a thing over, meaning over again, afterwards. I am more and more aware of the importance of the unconscious process that has to take place while one is painting–as if something were working away in secret. You can almost stand by and wait until something comes. It was been called ‘inspiration’ or ‘an idea from heaven’ but it’s far more down-to-earth and far more complicated than that.”

~ Gerhard Richter

Concise Reformed Dogmatics

Read inside (PDFs):
Key Features | Table of Contents | Chapter 3

Publisher: P and R Publishing Company
Author: Van Genderen, J.; Velema, W. H.
ISBN-13: 9780875525778
Binding: Hardcover
List Price: $59.99
Westminster Bookstore: $37.79 – 37% Off

This is not what you think!

…it is NOT a dry, impenetrable, scholastic tome.

It IS:
• a strikingly clear and readable systematic theology
• built on the Dutch Reformed tradition of Calvin and Bavinck
• up-to-date; interacts with contemporary theological issues

Publisher’s Description: Doctrine and life form a unity, the authors believe, and the knowledge and study of theology are of direct importance to ethics, preaching, and the life of faith.

This full treatment of Reformed systematic theology is accessible to church officers and interested lay readers, as well as teachers and students of theology. As in the celebrated Dutch edition, it is formatted with two visually distinct levels of discussion for use either as an introduction to theology or in advanced study.

Drs. J. van Genderen and W. H. Velema provide a complete, single-volume discussion of the many themes that belong in a dogmatics handbook: revelation, God, the decree of God, creation, providence, man as God’s image, sin, Christ the mediator, the covenant of grace, salvation, the church, the means of grace, and eschatology. They take into account contemporary problems and deal critically with views of modern theology.

“It is our heartfelt wish that this dogmatics, in which we, in keeping with our confession, recognize Holy Scripture to be the sole binding standard, may help readers to understand what is believed in the church on the basis of the Bible. Dogmatics is focused on the knowledge and service of God. The highest purpose to which we set ourselves in articulating Christian doctrine is the glorification of the name of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – From the preface

995 Pages
Published November 2008

About the Authors:

Dr. J. van Genderen was a professor at the Theological University of the Christian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands in Apeldoorn. He taught dogmatics, the history of doctrine, and symbolics (the creeds).

Dr. W. H. Velema is a professor emeritus at the Theological University of the Christian Reformed Churches in the Netherlands in Apeldoorn. He taught, among other subjects, apologetics, ethics, and homiletics.

Endorsements:

“When an 800 page book has “Concise” in its title, we expect a different perspective. Indeed, this book comes from the Netherlands, the land of Kuyper and Bavinck, where three- and four-volume theology texts are the rule. Indeed, Concise Reformed Dogmatics is immersed in the theological traditions and dialogues of continental Europe, though its main allegiance is to the Scriptures by which, the authors say, all dogmas must be tested. English speaking Christians should be better acquainted with the perspective of our European brothers. In this book we will get that broader picture, while being reminded that good, solid Reformed theology can be found in many locations. So the book edifies in both its similarities and its differences from the way we formulate doctrine.”
- Dr. John Frame, Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary

“At a time when there seems to be renewed interest in the Reformation and, specifically, the Reformed stream, this concise theology is a wellspring of the best that our confession has to offer in the desert of American religion. This is a treasure to be read again and again, making the heart leap for joy!”
- Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary, California

“For all but a few English speakers, insight into the world of contemporary confessional Dutch Reformed theology is limited to occasional glimpses. This translation opens a helpful, orthodox, window on discussions in the Netherlands and beyond and is a welcome contribution to the renaissance of Reformed dogmatics in our time.”
- R. Scott Clark, Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, Westminster Seminary, California

“In the context of postmodernism’s challenge, this ‘Dogmatics’ connects us with historic Christian doctrine. As a ‘Reformed’ dogmatics, this summary of classic Calvinism is textured with biblical richness and confessional fidelity. But equally important is the word ‘Concise,’ for this promises us the kind of accessibility and utility so difficult to package with responsible scholarship. The authors, translators, and publisher have served our generation well!”
- Nelson D. Kloosterman

“This translation is a most welcome example of contemporary conservative dogmatic theology in our post-conservative age.”
- Derek W. H. Thomas

“Biblically based, confessionally rooted, and committed to the best of the Reformed tradition, notably Calvin and Bavinck. The authors are conversant with twentieth-century figures from Barth to Pannenberg. They explore a wide range of Dutch theologians. And they engage critical exegesis of Scripture, intellectual movements such a verificationism in philosophy, and social trends such as feminism. The church’s mission and pastoral practice are never out of view. Even those who might disagree here and there with a detail will be well rewarded by this thorough and thoughtful work.”
- John Bolt

John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, Doxology

Publisher: Ligonier Ministries
Author: Parsons, Burk
ISBN-13: 9781567691061
Binding: Hardcover

John Calvin is often reviled as a humorless doctrinarian who preached an austere theology that twisted Scripture. In John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, and Doxology, Burk Parsons and a cadre of godly pastors and scholars seek to set the record straight in honor of the 500th observance of John Calvin’s birth in 1509. The book’s nineteen succinct chapters explore aspects of Calvin’s life, ministry, and teachings, and establish his importance even for the twenty-first-century church. Contributors, in addition to Parsons, include some of the most gifted and godly Reformed leaders alive today: Derek W. H. Thomas, Sinclair B. Ferguson, D. G. Hart, Harry L. Reeder, Steven J. Lawson, W. Robert Godfrey, Phillip R. Johnson, Eric J. Alexander, Thabiti Anyabwile, John MacArthur, Richard D. Phillips, Thomas K. Ascol, Keith A. Mathison, Jay E. Adams, Philip Graham Ryken, Michael Horton, Jerry Bridges, and Joel R. Beeke. The foreword is by Iain H. Murray. Indexes of Scripture passages, subjects and names, and theological terms make the book helpful for those who want to delve into specific topics. John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, and Doxology is a winsome portrait that dashes stereotypes about Calvin and the theological system that bears his name.

257 Pages
Published: November 2008

About the Contributors

Jay E. Adams is a teacher, speaker, and author. A former professor at Westminster Seminary California and a retired pastor, Dr. Adams has authored more than one hundred books, many of which have been translated into other languages. Among his publications are Compassionate Counseling, From Forgiven to Forgiving, and Encouragement Isn’t Enough.

Eric J. Alexander is a retired pastor of St. George’s-Tron Church in Glasgow, Scotland, and a council member of Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. He is a former president of the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) in Great Britain, and he served as chairman of the Scottish Council of the Overseas Missionary Fellowship. Rev. Alexander preaches and teaches at conferences and seminaries in Europe and the United States.

Thabiti Anyabwile is senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. Rev. Anyabwile is a conference speaker and author of several books, including The Decline of African American Theology: From Biblical Faith to Cultural Captivity, The Faithful Preacher: Recapturing the Vision of Three Pioneering African-American Pastors, and the forthcoming What Is a Healthy Church Member?

Thomas K. Ascol is senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Fla. He also serves as executive director of Founders Ministries and editor of Founders Journal. Dr. Ascol has written numerous articles and contributed to several books, including Reclaiming the Gospel and Reforming Churches and A Puritan Speaks to Our Dying Nation. He is also editor of the book Dear Timothy: Letters on Pastoral Ministry.

Joel R. Beeke is president and professor of systematic theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Mich. He is also pastor of Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation and editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books. Dr. Beeke has authored more than fifteen hundred articles for various periodicals and reference works, and has written or edited fifty books, including The Quest for Full Assurance, Meet the Puritans, Walking as He Walked, and Heirs with Christ: The Puritans on Adoption.

Jerry Bridges has served with the Navigators since 1955. He speaks regularly at conferences and seminaries throughout the country and serves as a council member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. He is the author of several books, including The Pursuit of Holiness, Trusting God, Transforming Grace, and Respectable Sins.

Sinclair B. Ferguson is senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Colombia, S.C., and is distinguished visiting professor of systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. Dr. Ferguson is also a council member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. He has written several books, including In Christ Alone, The Holy Spirit, Taking the Christian Life Seriously, and The Sermon on the Mount.

W. Robert Godfrey is president and professor of church history at Westminster Seminary California. He has taught at many colleges and seminaries, and frequently speaks at Christian conferences throughout the country. A council member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, Dr. Godfrey has written several books, including An Unexpected Journey, Reformation Sketches, and Pleasing God in our Worship.

D. G. Hart is director of academic programs at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute in Philadelphia, Pa. Previously he served as dean of academic affairs and professor of church history at Westminster Seminary California, where he remains an adjunct member of the faculty. Dr. Hart has written several books, including A Secular Faith: Why Christianity Favors the Separation of Church and State, and has co-authored several others with John R. Muether, including Seeking a Better Country: 300 Years of American Presbyterianism and With Reverence and Awe: Returning to the Basics of Reformed Worship.

Michael Horton is J. Gresham Machen professor of apologetics and systematic theology at Westminster Seminary California. In addition to serving as editor-in-chief of Modern Reformation magazine and as host of the popular radio show The White Horse Inn, he is the author of numerous books, including God of Promise: Introducing Covenant Theology, Too Good to Be True: Finding Hope in a World of Hype, and Covenant and Salvation.

Phillip R. Johnson is executive director of Grace to You in Panorama City, Calif., and is a pastor at Grace Community Church. He has been closely associated with John MacArthur for nearly thirty years and edits most of Dr. MacArthur’s books. Rev. Johnson may be best known for the Web sites he maintains, including The Spurgeon Archive and The Hall of Church History.

Steven J. Lawson is senior pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, Ala., and serves on the ministerial board of Reformed Theological Seminary and on the board of directors of The Master’s College and Seminary. Dr. Lawson has authored many books, including Famine in the Land, Foundations of Grace, and The Expository Genius of John Calvin.

John MacArthur has served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, Calif., for nearly forty years and is heard on more than two thousand radio outlets worldwide on the radio program Grace to You. He is president of The Master’s College and Seminary and has written numerous books, including Charismatic Chaos, Faith Works, The Gospel According to Jesus, Ashamed of the Gospel, and A Tale of Two Sons. He is also the author of the twenty-six-volume MacArthur New Testament Commentary series.

Keith A. Mathison is an associate editor of Tabletalk magazine in Orlando, Fla., and is associate editor of The Reformation Study Bible (ESV). Dr. Mathison is author of several books, including Postmillennialism: An Eschatology of Hope, The Shape of Sola Scriptura, Given for You: Reclaiming Calvin’s Doctrine of the Lord’s Supper, and Dispensationalism: Rightly Dividing the People of God?

Iain H. Murray is a co-founder of Banner of Truth Trust in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is minister emeritus of the Australian Presbyterian Church. Rev. Murray has authored many books, including A Scottish Christian Heritage, Evangelicalism Divided, Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography, and The Puritan Hope.

Burk Parsons serves as minister of congregational life at Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla., and is editor of Tabletalk, the monthly Bible-study magazine of Ligonier Ministries. Rev. Parsons is also editor of the book Assured by God: Living in the Fullness of God’s Grace.

Richard D. Phillips is senior minister of Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville, S.C. He is also a council member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals and is chairman of the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology. Rev. Phillips’ preaching is heard nationwide on the radio program God’s Living Word. Among his twenty-one published books are his most recent titles, What’s So Great About the Doctrines of Grace? and Jesus the Evangelist.

Harry L. Reeder is senior pastor of Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Ala. After completing his doctoral dissertation on ‘The Biblical Paradigm of Church Revitalization,” he authored his first book, From Embers to a Flame. Dr. Reeder is devoted to the ministry of church revitalization, hosting conferences in the United States twice a year called ‘Embers to a Flame.”

Philip Graham Ryken is senior pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Pa., and is a teacher for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. Dr. Ryken is broadcast nationally on the radio program Every Last Word. He has written or edited more than twenty books, including What Is the Christian Worldview?, City on a Hill: Recovering the Biblical Pattern for the Church in the 21st Century, and Bible commentaries on Exodus, Jeremiah, Lamentations, 1 Timothy, and Galatians.

Derek W. H. Thomas is John Richards Professor of Practical and Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Miss. He is also minister of teaching at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson and editorial director for The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. Among Dr. Thomas’ many books are God Strengthens: Ezekiel Properly Explained, Mining for Wisdom, and Praying the Saviour’s Way. Along with John W. Tweeddale, Dr. Thomas is co-editor of a forthcoming book on the life, ministry, and doctrine of John Calvin, to be published by the Banner of Truth Trust.

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas

Publisher: Crossway/Good News Publishers
Author: Guthrie, Nancy (editor)
ISBN-13: 9781433501807
Binding: Paperback

It is imperative that all Christians keep their minds and hearts focused on Christ during the Christmas season. Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus is an anthology of Advent readings collected from the writings and sermons of 22 classic and contemporary theologians and Bible teachers.

Between purchasing presents and planning travel, enjoying holiday pageants and attending parties, it is all too easy for Christmas to sneak up on people and crowd out a quiet anticipation of this sacred season. So when editor Nancy Guthrie decided she wanted a reflective book of Advent readings by writers who held a high view of Scripture, she embarked on what she calls a sacred adventure, putting together such a collection herself. This special volume draws from the works and sermons of classic theologians such as Whitefield, Calvin, Luther, Spurgeon, and Augustine, and from leading contemporary communicators such as Skip Ryan, John Piper, Ligon Duncan, Randy Alcorn, John MacArthur, Francis Schaeffer, R. C. Sproul, Alistair Begg, James Montgomery Boice, R. Kent Hughes,, and Joni Eareckson Tada to help readers enter into the wonder of Jesus’ incarnation and birth.

Each essay in this solidly biblical anthology expounds on a particular aspect of the Christmas story and includes the appropriate Scripture passage from the ESV Bible. It is sure to awaken people’s longing and prepare their hearts for a fresh experience of the coming of Jesus each and every Christmas season.

I would encourage every Christian to read something in regard to advent during the month of December.  Use these readings during personal time or family devotional time.  They will surely point you to Christ – the real reason for the season.

Westminster Bookstore has assembled a wonderful collection of Christmas gift ideas.

Westminster Blog partner Justin Childers from his blog Cross-eyed has written some excellent ideas on why to give books as gifts:

As you shop for family, friends, and neighbors, I would urge you to consider giving a book as at least part of your gift. Here are some reasons why:

1. Good books tend to be gifts that last a long time. People don’t throw away good books. They pass them on to their children, grandchildren, and church libraries. Sweaters, ties, and fruitcakes are relatively short-lived.

2. Good books are used by God to change people’s lives. I have never heard of someone’s life being changed by an ornament, an atomic clock, or a gift card to the GAP.

3. Think of the cumulative effect of giving books for presents. If you give a certain person a book every year for 50 years, you help them build a library.

4. Good books communicate care for a person. In giving someone a book you like, you are communicating something of how that book has helped you.

5. Good books tend to open conversations about spiritual things easily.

Tips:
-Always write a personal note in the front cover. That way, the person can look back decades later and remember your care for them. If you are unsure whether they have a particular book, write in pencil.

-Plan to tell the person why you chose that book for them. Encourage them to read it and let you know what they think.

Westminster Bookstore has:

Gifts for Younger Children

Gifts for Parents

Gifts for Married Couples

Gifts of Distinction

Gifts for Men

Gifts for Older Children

Gifts for Pastors

Gift Bibles

Gifts for Personal Growth

Gifts for Women

Designed both for serious students and for general readers of the Bible, the PNTC volumes seek above all to make clear the meaning of the text of Scripture as we have it. The scholars writing these volumes interact with the most important, informed contemporary debate yet avoid undue technical detail. Their ideal is a blend of rigorous exegesis and exposition, scholarship and pastoral sensitivity, with an eye alert both to biblical theology and to the contemporary relevance of the Bible.

While the New International Version is the translation of choice for the English text, Pillar authors base their exposition on the Greek New Testament. They are deeply committed to a fresh wrestling with the text, using every means at their disposal to “loosen the Bible from its pages” to help readers understand what the text says and how to apply it to life today.

Underlying the approach of this series is the fact that God stands over against us rather than we in judgment of him. When God speaks to us in his Word, those who profess to know him must respond with reverence, a certain fear, a holy joy, and a questing obedience. These attitudes are reflected in the profoundly Christian stance of the PNTC authors toward the text. With these values in place, the Pillar commentaries will continue to be warmly welcomed by pastors, teachers, and students everywhere.

Matthew

Publisher: Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Author: Morris, Leon
ISBN-10: 0802836968 | ISBN-13: 9780802836960

In the Christian Church the Gospel of Matthew has been considered the most important portrait of Jesus’ life and message. Containing Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and a uniquely rich collection of parables, among many other things, Matthew has made a major contribution to the church throughout the centuries, and it still has much to say to the church today.

This superb commentary in the Pillar series explores the meaning and relevance of Matthew in an eminently straightforward fashion. Leon Morris writes for readers who use commentaries to discover further what the Bible means. Throughout, he makes clear what he considers to be the meaning of the Greek text that Matthew has bequeathed to the church. A perceptive introduction precedes Morris’s warmhearted verse-by-verse exposition of Matthew, an exposition based on his own literal translation of the text. Now a standard reference wok on the Gospel of Matthew, this mature, evangelically oriented commentary will continue to meet the needs of students, pastor, and general readers alike.Gospel According to

Mark

Publisher: Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Author: Edwards, James R., Jr.
ISBN-10: 0802837344 | ISBN-13: 9780802837349

This new Pillar volume offers exceptional commentary on Mark that clearly shows the second Gospel – though it was a product of the earliest Christian community – to be both relevant and sorely needed in today’s church.

Written by a biblical scholar who has devoted thirty years to the study of the second Gospel, this commentary aims primarily to interpret the Gosepl of Mark according to its theological intentions and purposes, especially as they relate to the life and ministry of Jesus and the call to faith and discipleship. Unique features of James Edwards’s approach include clear descriptions of key terms used by Mark and revealing discussion of the Gospel’s literary features, including Mark’s use of the “sandwich” technique and of imagistic motifs and irony. Edwards also proposes a new paradigm for interpreting the difficult “Little Apocalypse” of chapter 13, and he argues for a new understanding of Mark’s controversial ending.

John

Publisher: Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Author: Carson, D. A.
ISBN-10: 0802836836 | ISBN-13: 9780802836830

In this solid evangelical commentary on John’s Gospel, a respected Scripture expositor makes clear the flow of the text, engages a small but representative part of the massive secondary literature on John, shows how the Fourth Gospel contributes to biblical and systematic theology, and offers a consistent exposition of John as a evangelistic Gospel. The comprehensive introduction treats such matters as the authenticity, authorship, purpose, and structure of the Gospel.

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Romans

Publisher: Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Author: Morris, Leon
ISBN-10: 0802836364 | ISBN-13: 9780802836366

Morris tackles the complexities of faith and interpretation associated with the Epistle to the Romans in this substantial yet easy-to-read commentary, written to be intelligible to the layperson while also taking account of modern scholarship.

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Letter to the Ephesians

Publisher: Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Author: Brien, Peter T.
ISBN-10: 0802837360 | ISBN-13: 9780802837363

From a foremost authority on the New Testament comes a major new commentary on Ephesians-a letter of truth, love, and unity to our superficial world.

This newest volume in the Pillar New Testament Commentary series provides a rich exposition of Ephesians, one of the most significant documents ever written. Using the fruits of recent biblical research, Peter O’Brien shows how Ephesians sums up God’s magnificent plan of salvation in Christ and spells out his divine purpose for believers today.

A model of the scholarly excellence characteristic of the entire PNTC series (which now features a striking new jacket design), O’Brien’s Ephesians will become the standard work on this profoundly influential book.

The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon

Publisher: Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Author: Moo, Douglas J.
ISBN-10: 0802837271 | ISBN-13: 9780802837271

Exhibiting the same brilliant exegesis and sound practical insight found in his previous works, noted commentator Douglas J. Moo in this volume not only explains accurately the meaning of the letters to the Colossians and to Philemon but also applies that meaning powerfully to twenty-first-century readers.

Informed, evangelical, and methodologically astute, Moo’s Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon offers something for everyone – teacher or student, pastor or parishioner, scholar or layperson.

Letters to the Thessalonians

Publisher: Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Author: Green, Gene L.
ISBN-10: 0802837387 | ISBN-13: 9780802837387

In this commentary Gene Green reads Paul’s two letters to the Thessalonians in light of the canon of Scripture and of new knowledge about the first-century world of Thessalonica. This fruitful approach helps illuminate the impact of the gospel on its original readers and, in turn, shows how potent a force it can be for the church and society today.

The book begins with an in-depth study of the Thessalonians themselves – their history, land, socioeconomic conditions, and religious environment. This fascinating discussion gives the necessary context for fully appreciating the circumstances surrounding the founding of the city’s first church and the subsequent struggles of the Thessalonian believers to live out their Christian faith.

Filled with new information about ancient society, this commentary will fast become a standard reference work for Bible study. By carefully bridging the biblical and modern worlds, Green shows with clarity and warmth the continuing relevance of 1 & 2 Thessalonians for contemporary readers.

Letter of James

Publisher: Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Author: Moo, Douglas J.
ISBN-10: 0802837301 | ISBN-13: 9780802837301

Few books in the New Testament are better known or more often quoted as the Letter of James. Because James is so concise, so intensely practical, and so filled with memorable metaphors and illustrations, it has become one of the two or three most popular New Testament books in the church.

This highly original commentary seeks to make the Letter of James clear and applicable to Christian living today. Interacting with the latest views on James but keeping academic references to a minimum, Douglas Moo first introduces the Letter of James in its historical context and then provides verse-by-verse comments that explain the message of James both to its first readers and to today’s church.

The Letters of 2 Peter and Jude

Publisher: Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Author: Davids, Peter H.
ISBN-10: 0802837263 | ISBN-13: 9780802837264

Filling a notable gap in scholarship on 2 Peter and Jude, Peter Davids artfully unpacks these two neglected but fascinating epistles that deal with the confrontation between the Greco-Roman world and the burgeoning first-century Jesus communities.

Davids firmly grasps the overall structure of these oft-maligned epistles and presents a strong case for 2 Peter and Jude as coherent, consistent documents. Marked by exceptional exegesis, sharp, independent judgments, a singular combination of rhetorical and narrative analysis, and timely application to the concerns of the local church, Davids’s work not only connects with the latest scholarship but also transforms scholarly insights into helpful conclusions benefiting all believers.

Letters of John

Publisher: Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Author: Kruse, Colin
ISBN-10: 080283728X | ISBN-13: 9780802837288

This Pillar commentary seeks to clearly explain the meaning of John’s letters to teachers, pastors, and general readers looking for a reliable resource for personal study. Colin Kruse introduces the important issues involved in interpreting the Johannine letters, gives verse-by-verse comments, and provides extensive discussion of John’s major theological themes, including the real humanity of Christ, atonement, the role of the Spirit, Christian assurance, the meaning of koinonia, Christian love, and eternal life.

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The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith
Publisher: Penguin Group
Author: Keller, Timothy
ISBN-10: 0525950796 | ISBN-13: 9780525950790
Binding: Hardcover

Expected Arrival: October 2008

This short book is meant to do no less than lay out the essentials of the Christian message, the gospel. It can therefore serve as an introduction to the Christian faith for those who are unfamiliar with it or who may have been away from it for some time.

This volume is not just for seekers, however. Many lifelong Christian believers feel they understand the basics of the Christian faith quite well and certainly don’t think they need a primer. Nevertheless, one of the signs that you don’t grasp the unique, radical nature of the gospel is that you think you do. Sometimes long-time church members find themselves so struck and turned around by a fresh apprehension of the Christian message of grace that they feel themselves to have been essentially “reconverted.” This book, then, is written to both curious outsiders and established insiders of the faith, to both the people jesus calls “younger” and “elder” brothers in his famous Parable of the Prodigal Son.

To read why Timothy Keller wrote the book click here.

Click here to hear the sermon, “The Prodigal Sons”

About the Author: As the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, Tim Keller started his congregation with a few dozen people. It now draws over five thousand weekly attendees who meet in three Manhattan locations. Redeemer has since spawned a movement of churches across America and throughout major world cities. Many pastors model their churches on Redeemer and Tim’s thoughtful style of preaching.

One of the most helpful tools in any Christian library is a good, sound and biblical systematic theology book.  Those who desire to know the Bible doctrines at greater depth definitely need to study systematic theology.  Pastors are also theologians and need to study theology constantly.  What is systematic theology?  Many different definitions have been given, but for the purpose of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology book he provides the following definition, “Systematic theology is any study that answers the question, “What does the whole Bible teach us today?” about any given topic.”

I have provided a list of good systematic theology books below:

Systematic Theology

Publisher: Banner of Truth
Author: Berkhof, Louis
ISBN-10: 0851510566 | ISBN-13: 9780851510569
Binding: Hardcover
List Price: $34.00
Westminster Bookstore: $20.40 – 40% Off

Few volumes provide as comprehensive an introduction to Reformed systematic theology as Berkhof’s.

Readers will want to note that, while less expensive, the Banner of Truth edition does not include Berkhof’s Introduction to Systematic Theology. The Eerdmans edition, also available from the Westminster Bookstore, does includes this introductory volume.

Systematic Theology: Biblical and Historical

Publisher: Christian Focus
Author: Culver, Robert D.
ISBN-10: 1845500490 | ISBN-13: 9781845500498
Binding: Hardcover
List Price: $49.99
Westminster Bookstore: $32.49 – 35% Off

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New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith

Publisher: Thomas Nelson, Inc
Author: Reymond, Robert L.
ISBN-10: 0849913179 | ISBN-13: 9780849913174
Binding: Hardcover
List Price: $44.99
Westminster Bookstore: $29.24 – 35% Off

A contemporary, foundational statement of classic reformed faith, now revised and updated

* Comprehensive, coherent, contextual, and conversational
* Scripture-saturated, with more exegesis and more Scripture quotations than other one-volume theologies
* Upholds classic Calvinist positions on baptism, the Trinity, church government, and much more
* Interacts with contemporary issues and the work of other theologians
* Reveals the author’s warmth and sensitivity born of more than 25 years as a professor at leading Reformed seminaries
* Numerous appendices covering special topics; abundant resources for further study through footnotes, and a selective bibliography
* A textbook for theology students, a life-long reference for libraries, ministers, teachers, and professional theologians

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine

Publisher: Zondervan
Author: Grudem, Wayne A.
ISBN-10: 0310286700 | ISBN-13: 9780310286707
Binding: Hardcover
List Price: $44.99
Westminster Bookstore: $28.79 – 36% Off

The Christian church has a long tradition of systematic theology, that is, studying theology and doctrine organized around fairly standard categories such as the Word of God, redemption, and Jesus Christ. This introduction to systematic theology has several distinctive features: – A strong emphasis on the scriptural basis for each doctrine and teaching – Clear writing, with technical terms kept to a minimum – A contemporary approach, treating subjects of special interest to the church today – A friendly tone, appealing to the emotions and the spirit as well as the intellect – Frequent application to life – Resources for worship with each chapter – Bibliographies with each chapter that cross-reference subjects to a wide range of other systematic theologies.

Systematic Theology

Publisher: P and R Publishing Company
Author: Hodge, Charles
ISBN-10: 0875522246 | ISBN-13: 9780875522241
Binding: Paperback
List Price: $22.99
Westminster Bookstore: $14.94 – 35% Off

A careful abridgement of Hodge’s three-volume systematic theology in a convenient single volume.

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Systematic Theology

Publisher: Banner of Truth
Author: Dabney, Robert L.
ISBN-10: 0851514537 | ISBN-13: 9780851514536
Binding: Hardcover
List Price: $34.00
Westminster Bookstore: $20.40 – 40% Off

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Studies in Theology

Publisher: Banner of Truth
Author: Warfield, B. B.
ISBN-10: 0851515339 | ISBN-13: 9780851515335
Binding: Hardcover
List Price: $30.00
Westminster Bookstore: $18.00 – 40% Off

Monergism.com has organized and published an extensive but easily navigable new site with essays and vast resources on and by the Puritans. This wonderful site is called PuritanLibrary.com.  It includes free downloadable books and resources by Puritans such as Richard Sibbes | John Owen | Thomas Watson | Thomas Brooks | Thomas Boston | John Bunyan | Stephen Charnock | Thomas Goodwin | Thomas Shepherd | John Robinson | Thomas Case | William Bridge | John Flavel | John Howe | Richard Baxter | Hugh Binning | Thomas Gouge | Jerremiah Burroughs | William Perkins and more.  This stie will no doubt be an invaluable tool for you as you discover the puritans for the first time or simply remind yourself who they are.

“A great painter… once I used to think I ought to paint like the ‘great masters,’ and of course I couldn’t. I felt it to be a terrible lack in me. I thought I basically wasn’t a painter at all but a fraud, just pretending to be one. It was a long time before I realized that what I do–the desperate experimentation, all the difficulties–is exactly what they all do: that’s the normal nature of the job. That’s painting.”

~ Gerhard Richter

One of my Christmas gifts this year was this awesome book, Apartment Therapy Presents by Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan. Many people know Apartment Therapy from the popular blog and Gillingham-Ryan’s original life/home makeover book. I highly recommend both, and I highly recommend this new hardcover book.

Apartment Therapy Presents is a collection of homes previously featured on the blog. These are real homes designed by real people by themselves without the help of professional decorators. While some of the featured homes clearly benefited from pricier finds, many of the showcased homes are filled with thrifted and DIY treasures.

One of the bummers about almost all of the home decor magazines on the market is that, while the interiors are certainly stunning, they are unattainable for 95% of us. Most magazines feature work of professional designers working for clients with hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend on their decor. (This is one of the reasons I miss Domino magazine so much. Their interiors were gorgeous and possible for the rest of us.) But getting back to the book…

Apartment Therapy Presents shows rooms and homes that we can all have. Sure, not overnight. But with the investment of time and dedicated savings, all of us can enjoy a beautiful home that is a reflection of our true selves. The homes featured are also on the small side, 250 – 1,500 square feet, which is definitely relevant to those of us who live in a city with higher density housing.

Each entry introduces the individual or couple who lives in and designed the home, including their profession, location, home square footage, and whether they own or rent. Next we see an assortment of lovely photos, a summary by the author, and survey questions answered by the home owners/renters.

I especially appreciate how many different styles and sensibilities are included. The book present many aesthetics, not just one type of look. I think my favorites are Patrick’s “Cosmo-urban Studio” on page 182; Shannon and Emmett’s “Factory to Family” on page 212; and Bri and Chad’s “Fab on a Budget” on page 32. But those are all diamonds in a sea of gems. There is so much great stuff packed into this book. I already have some new ideas for bedroom paint colors and DIY furniture projects. The end of each section also includes a handy list of resources.

Lots of home design books are full of pretty pictures and lots of fluff. Not Apartment Therapy Presents; this book is full of relevant, helpful content. It will satisfy my decor-snooping for quite a while.

If you have this book, please share your favorite featured home in the comment section below.

Concerning the True Care of Souls
Publisher: Banner of Truth
Author: Bucer, Martin
ISBN-13: 9780851519845
Binding: Hardcover

Sample Pages

Publisher’s Description: First time ever available in English, this “Reformation handbook of pastoral theology … sets out in a vivid and persuasive way, biblical principles for church life, ministry, and discipline.”

For more than twenty-five years Martin Bucer was the undisputed leader of the Protestant Reformation in the city of Strasbourg. Yet he never managed to achieve all that he wished due to the opposition of the city’s political leaders. In 1548 he moved at the invitation of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer to England, where he spent the last few years of his life as Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge.

Ten years earlier, in 1538, Bucer produced what he called ‘this little book’. A Reformation handbook of pastoral theology, it sets out his ideal of a godly Christian society, and was ‘written solely for the Lord’s glory and the improvement of his church at this time when Christ’s sheep are so deplorably scattered’. He commended it ‘to the Christian consideration of all God’s children, asking only that nothing should be judged according to carnal standards, but everything according to the word of the Lord.’ And added, ‘May the Lord grant that it will be of much use for his kingdom.’ Although largely rejected by the government of Strasbourg, Bucer’s Concerning the True Care of Souls met with much more success further afield and was to exercise a vast influence in later history. In Hesse, for example, a church order was introduced based on Bucer’s ideas, and in Strasbourg itself they were implemented in the French refugee community pastured from 1538 to 1541 by the young John Calvin, who had a great respect for Bucer and worked closely with him.

Nearly 500 years later we can still benefit greatly from Bucer’s spiritual wisdom as he sets out, in a vivid and persuasive way, biblical principles for church life, ministry, and discipline. Translated into English for the very first time through the labours of Peter Beale, the publishers send it forth, reechoing Bucer’s prayer: ‘May the Lord grant that it will be of much use for his kingdom.’

258 pages
Published January 2009

“This is THE pastoral theology that John Calvin implemented in his own pastorate in Strasbourg, from 1538 to 1541. Nearly 500 years later we can still benefit greatly from Bucer’s spiritual wisdom as he sets out, in a vivid and persuasive way, biblical principles for church life, ministry, and discipline. Never before available in English, until now!”
- Steve Burlew, Manager, The Banner of Truth North America

John Piper is one of my favorite authors. The Passion of Jesus Christ is a small book well-suited to the Lenten season. It is subtitled “Fifty Reasons Why He Came to Die”, neatly broken up into sections for daily devotions. If you did this book last year, you might try Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ  , described on the Desiring God website:

The new edition of Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ is conceived as a fitting follow up book for those who have read The Passion of Jesus Christ. We asked: What might people, who were introduced to Jesus with 50 reasons for his death, want to know next? Our answer: They might want to know more about who Jesus was as a person and teacher and Son of God. With a view to making the new edition as useful as possible, we took the more challenging introduction about why we credit the gospels and put that at the back. This lets the reader jump right into the portraits of Jesus himself.

The book was arranged so that it has exactly the same number of pages as The Passion of Jesus Christ, and the same look and feel inside. We pray that for hundreds of thousands of people who tasted the meaning of Christ’s death through The Passion of Jesus Christ, this new inexpensive edition of Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ will make more of the fullness of Christ known.

As always, John Piper has made this book available as a free download, and there is a supplemental Bible reading schedule to accompany it.

I hope to do this daily during Lent.

We have moved on to Chapter 7 of Sacred Marriage. 

Don’t worry. This blog won’t be just a review of movies and books. But today I am mulling over a theme shared by the movie, Fireproof, and this book by Gary Thomas:  the permanent covenant relationship of marriage. 

I have been thinking about the phrase “unconditional love” in the context of marriage. I don’t like it. The term “unconditional”, when applied to human relationships, still implies a tension and an emotional state. When we promise to stay married, we are offering our spouse a committed love. A permanent love. It is unconditional, in a way, but it’s more than that.  It’s tangible. It’s active. Our marriage is committed and permanent.

Gary Thomas likens the marital relationship to God’s convenant with Israel:

A well-known theologian was once asked to give the best piece of evidence for the existence of God. Without hesitating, he said, “The Jew.” … (insert long and interesting section about the survival of  that nation throughout times of persecution, slavery and failures,  to the lineage of Christ, etc) … The relationship between God and his people was anything but easy. There were periods of great joy and celebration (witness the love affair of God and his people when Solomon dedicated the temple); seasons of frustration and anger (when God allowed foreign tyrants to conquer); times of infidelity and apostasy (when Israel chased after other gods);  and seasons of silence. Sound like any relationship you know?

… One characteristic holds the history of God and Israel together — perseverance. When Israel turned her back on God, God didn’t turn his back on Israel. He may have stepped back for a time, but the over-all commitment remained concrete and steadfast.

God made a covenant with His chosen people, and He kept it. He has kept it for thousands of years, and He will keep it forever. Several times in Scripture, that relationship is viewed as a marriage – God and His Bride.

Marriage is the primary convenant that most of us will make in our temporal lifetimes. Many people, including Christians, regard it as a contract. Even if it’s just subconsciously, they think: “Marriage is a 50-50 proposition. If you do your part, I promise to do my part.”  At the end of the movie, Fireproof, the hero and heroine publically renew/redo their wedding vows to “correct” that false view of marriage. The pastor explains that they initially viewed the vows as a contract, but now they want to commit, in partnership with God, to a convenant relationship. I am usually not a big fan of vow renewals, but that one did strike me as a significant change, worthy of celebration.

Throughout the movie, at least after he has made that commitment, the hero demonstrates a perseverance in his work to restore his marriage. While his wife continues along the emotional and legal path toward divorce, the hero digs in his heels and won’t budge. His wife’s wedding ring is in the back of a bureau drawer, but his is solidly stuck on his fist hand. It’s not that he won’t acknowledge that they have an immediate and serious problem; he simply will not permit divorce to be an option. But merely being “not divorced” is not enough; he is determined to fully restore the “love” relationship. He persists.

A key to maintaining the covenant is remembering that God is one part of it. Almost all of us included that in our vows. We made a promise to God. Included Him in our marriage.  When that marriage is broken, what happens to God? Does He shrug His shoulders and move on? Does He pretend the vows were never made? God probably has a deeper perspective of  ”til death do us part.”  Persistance is obedience.  It’s required. The world may not understand that, but as Christians who will live forever with God, we know it. 

Romans 2:7-8 (New International Version)

 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.  But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.     

Gary Thomas makes this key point very clearly:  

Persistance doesn’t make sense unless we live with a keen sense of eternity.

He wants us to consider the story of our lives as a united married couple as a “Sacred History” – what I would call a “testimony that glorifies God and records His grace in our lives.”

The priority of a sacred history is an eternal priority.  Marriage is a beautiful and effective reminder of this reality. One of the most poetic lines in Scripture, one that I wish every husband and wife would display in a prominent place in their home, is found in verse 5 of 2 Thessalonians 3: “May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”   That’s what I want my heart filled with: God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. There’s the Bible’s best recipe for holiness and a “successful life” here on earth. Oh that my heart could be directed into more and more of God’s love! Oh that I could learn the patient perseverance of Christ Himself.

He urges people considering divorce to persist:

… Before a divorce is final, I’m usually going to encourage someone to hang in there, to push on through the pain, and to try to grow in it and through it. Happiness may well be beyond them, but spiritual maturity isn’t — and I value character far above an emotional disposition. With heaven as a future hope, spiritual growth as a present reality, and, in many cases, children for whom our sacrifice is necessary, an intact marriage is an ideal worth fighting for.

The inclusion of God in our marriage convenant, even when a divorce is forced upon us, and even when the spouse marries another person, is still a serious consideration. Gary Thomas shares the story of a woman in that situation:

(when her husband divorced her and was preparing to marry another woman)   Well-meaning Christian friends eventually started asking Leslie if she was dating yet. Leslie did her best to mask her shock and respond with grace. She still wore her wedding ring, and while some Christians felt that she should “just let go,” the ring was  sign of a covenant Leslie had made not just with Tim, but with God. Even though Tim had walked out of the relationship, the Lord was still there — so two out of the three parties were hanging in there.

“The wedding ring didn’t represent my love for Tim anymore,” Leslie says. “That old love was dead. But it represented my commitment before the Lord — the One before whom I said, ’till death do us part.”

God can use everything in our lives – joyful and grievous – in the process of our sanctification. What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?

Even when something as tragic as betrayal, unfaithfulness, and an unwanted divorce are foisted on us, the experience can be used for spiritual benefit. By remaining true herself and by respecting the sacredness of her history with Tim even though he no longer respected that history, Leslie learned valuable spiritual lessons and drew closer to God in the process.

God is the perfect husband. He remains faithful to an unfaithful people. Not for five years or five hundred years, but forever.  He is persistant.  The Bible, all the way through the Gospel, is a family saga.

It’s a fascinating tale, one that God follows with all the passion of a husband, the hurt of a betrayed friend, and the perspective of an aggrieved Lord and King. It would not be fair to judge that history at any one point, for it is the history of God and his people Israel — his bride and his spouse — taken together over the long run, that tells the complete story.

 We must not be making destructive choices about the sacred history of our marriages when they are still babies. We give children time to mature, and even when they grow up, they are still human. God has a larger vision for covenant relationships. A longer vision. A permanent vision.

Does your three-part marriage really include God as a tangible partner? Daily?

I’ll tell you a secret… I loathe Jane Austen. I never ever watch chick flicks, and surely the movies made from her (boring and sappy) novels are the consummate example of  “Chick Flick.”  Most of my friends swoon over them, and I did read the books when I was a teenager. But I have been raising sons for 29 years now, and I just can’t see the appeal of that kind of thing. Give me a few explosions, dastardly villains and noble heroes, harrowing adventures and a happy ending.

So when all of the Christians of my aquaintance were raving abut Fireproof (including my own man), I secretly hoped to avoid it entirely. I have a tendency to denigrate any Christian movie or book that becomes popular, assuming that it will be too lightweight for my advanced level of personal holiness. Eventually, however, I could no longer escape it. Somehow, it moved to the top of my Netflix queue and arrived in our mailbox.

And it is a bit lightweight.  Some of the acting seems forced. The plot was predictable. But I am glad I saw it, and I think it’s a good and worthwhile movie.  There is some action and suspense in the movie, and the firefighting scenes were interesting in themselves. The supporting characters are fun. The hero’s coworkers, especially the younger guys, seemed genuine (and this coming from a woman who has raised three guys!) The neighbors were hilarious. The aging parents were beautifully portrayed. The shallow doctor (the other man) was kind of lame, but the nurses were a HOOT. 

Although the conflicts between the hero and heroine didn’t really reflect our marriage at all, I came away convicted of shortcomings in my own wifery. Not in a depressing, negative way, but in a thoughtful and inspired way. I am glad we saw the movie.  It blessed our marriage.  I recommend it as a wise investment of two hours.

On Thursday mornings, I host a ladies’ Bible study group in my home. We have between 8 and 11 women and 100 children under the age of 4. (okay, it’s only about 10 children, but they are all very energetic.) We have studied several books of the Bible and some books, covering many aspects of being a Keeper at Home – marriage, homemaking, raising children and general Christian womanhood. It’s a very good group of Christian women, mostly in their 20’s, with a couple of us older ladies for ballast.

Right now, we are reading and discussing a book called Sacred Marriage, by Gary Thomas. The subtitle is:

“What if God designed marriage to make us

holy more than to make us happy?”

It is a fascinating book. Some of the chapters have been very convicting to all of us. It is written by a man and could also be used by men in a group or individually. I think it’s one of those books that is particularly beneficial to discuss with others. As you can probably tell by the subtitle, the book isn’t exactly about improving your marriage (although growth in personal holiness can only benefit a marriage!) but rather an exploration of the sanctification process within the context of married life.

Chapter 6, which we discussed last week, is called “The Cleansing of Marriage” or “How Marriage Exposes our Sin. It opens with a quotation from Helen Rowland:

Marriage is the operation by which a woman’s vanity and a man’s egotism are extracted without anesthetic.

After that encouraging start, the author goes on to discuss how the intimacy, daily life together, and the permanency of marriage prevent us from maintaining a facade of perfection. Life as a married person is going to reveal our sin. We can’t hide it forever. He quotes Kathleen and Thomas Hart’s The First Two Years of Marriage: 

 Sometimes what is hard to take in the first years of marriage is not what we find out about our partner, but what we find out about ourselves. As one young woman who had been married about a year said, “I always thought of myself as a patient and forgiving person. Then I began to wonder if that was just because I had never before gotten close to anyone.  In marriage, when John and I began… dealing with differences, I daw how small and unforgiving I could be. I discovered a hardness in me I had never experienced before.” 

Marriage holds up a mirror to our sin. Gary Thomas writes:

We must embrace the reality of having our flaws exposed to our partner, and thereby having them revealed to us as well. Sin never seems quite as shocking when it is known only to us; when we see how it looks or sounds to another, it is magnified ten times over…

I don’t naturally gravitate toward the honesty and openness that leads to change. My natural sin-bent is to hide and erect a glittering image…

Do you hide from your spouse? Or do you utilize the spotlight of marriage to grow in grace? Some of us need this spotlight to understand how truly sinful we are.

In order to grow from this situation, we have to start with repentance and humility. Without those, the understanding of our sinful condition goes nowhere. We are still dead. In the context of marriage, that unresolved state is very destructive. Gary Thomas writes:

I have a theory: Behind virtually every case of marital dissatisfaction lies unrepented sin. Couples don’t fall out of marriage so much as they fall out of repentance. Sin, wrong attitudes, and personal failures that are not dealt with slowly erode the relationship, assaulting and eventually erasing the once lofty promises made in the throes of an earlier (and less polluted) passion.

I have to resist the temptation to go on quoting from this chapter. It’s a fascinating study, and I look forward to continuing in it. I am particularly struck by the importance of moving on from the “seeing our sin” state to a state of repentance and humility. It is a conscious move. 

Working on that this week… 

In Recognition of the 500th Anniversary of the Birth of John Calvin, Banner of Truth is Pleased to Release

Tracts and Letters of John Calvin – 7 Volume Set
Author : John Calvin
Special Offer Price: $ 80.00 – List Price: $170.00
ISBN#: 9780851519876
Binding: Clothbound
Page Count : 7 Volume Set
Description: Long unavailable the republication of Calvin’s Tracts and Letters will delight all who have come to delight in the writings of the sixteenth-century reformer of Geneva.

3 Vols of Tracts

Three volumes of Tracts comprise some of Calvin’s most important writings. Volume 1 begins with the Life of Calvin written by his close friend and colleague, Theodore Beza. An outline of Calvin’s life and work by an eye-witness and intimate friend, it will never be entirely superseded by any other biography. There follows several miscellaneous Tracts relating to the reformation, which all have a strong bearing on the leading points at issue between Roman Catholics and Protestants. Among them is the famous exchange with Cardinal Sadaleto and The Necessity of Reforming the Church.

The Tracts contained in the second volume discuss subjects which are of the highest importance in themselves. They range widely over a very extensive field, presenting us both with general summaries of the Truth, in its most elementary form (Calvin’s Catechism, etc.), and also with learned and profound treatments of more difficult points, particularly the nature of our Saviours’ Presence in the Supper.

The four Tracts that comprise the third volume, were selected partly on account of their own intrinsic value, and partly on account of the additional interest which recent controversies have given to some of the subjects considered in them. They contain lucid discussions on all the leading points in the controversy with Rome, furnish wholesome advice in answer to a question which once was, and will probably again become, of great practical importance (The True Method of Reforming the Church and Healing Her Divisions); and refute the wild dogma which a kind of infidel fanaticism had devised, asserting, that in the interval between death and the final judgment the soul remains in a state of sleep or unconscious existence.

All the Tracts sustain the reputation of their distinguished author; and, considering their controversial nature, do not often display the virulent spirit and intemperate language for which modern critics all too often condemn Calvin.

4 Vols of Letters

The man who regularly lectured to theological students, preached on average five times a week and authored enough material to fill forty-eight enormous volumes could scarcely be expected to show enthusiasm for correspondence. Yet in the Complete Works of John Calvin there are to be found no less than eleven volumes of his correspondence!

Calvin wrote to kings and princes, reformers and friends, nobility and common people alike. His letters discuss affairs of State, but also the most mundane problems of everyday life, and through them all is revealed a man of deep pastoral concern, consistent and exemplary evangelistic zeal, with a humble sense of the final authority of God and his word.

The four volumes of letters in this edition range from 1528 to the year of the reformer’s death in 1564, and are of enormous historical interest. But their permanent significance lies in the reminder they provide of a great work of God, and the example they set of compassionate Christian care, and a deep concern for the advance of the gospel wherever it is proclaimed. Calvin’s personal ambition undergirds each letter: ‘It is enough that I live and die for Christ who is to his followers a gain both in life and in death.’

The Christian Lover: The Sweetness of Love and Marriage in the Letters of Believers

Publisher: Ligonier Ministries
Author: Haykin, Michael A. G
ISBN-13: 9781567691115
Binding: Hardcover

Dr. Michael A. G. Haykin declares that “reading expressions of love from the past can be a helpful way of responding to the frangibility of Christian marriage in our day.” To that end, he brings together letters from one or both parties in twelve significant relationships from church history. The correspondents include such notables as Martin Luther (writing to his wife Katie), and John Calvin (expressing to friends his grief over the death of his wife Idelette). Lesser-known writers include Helmuth von Moltke, who wrote to his wife as he faced execution as the hands of the Nazis in 1945. The contents range from courtship communications to proposals of marriage to final words before dying, but most have to do with the events of everyday life. Dr. Haykin, professor of church history and biblical spirituality at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., provides an introduction to each set of letters and draws practical applications for today’s believers based on the expressions of love made by the correspondents. In the end, The Christian Lover is a celebration of marriage, an intimate window into the thoughts of men and women in love with both God and one another.

About the Author: Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin is currently the Director of The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, located on the campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and the editor of Eusebeia: The Bulletin of The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies.