Author: C.D. Baker
Publisher: Waterbrook Press
Format: hardcover
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 162
ISBN: 9780307444905
Stars: 4 of 5
Devotional books abound these days. They remain popular since Christians continue to desire books which help them connect with God. Scriptural readings followed by devotional thoughts, a prayer or a poem – this is what one expects to encounter with books in this genre. One doesn’t expect to be given penetrating and even troubling questions.
40 Loaves does just that. C.D. Baker dares to ask and discuss the questions that find their way into our heart of hearts. Why do I so easily lose self-control? Why am I so uncomfortable with doubts? Why can’t I overcome sin in my life? Why am I so discontented? These questions (and more like them) aren’t addressed easily.
I knew that this book addressed such questions. I wasn’t prepared for how relevant the treatment of them would be. Baker uses such questions to probe deeply into our souls, and to ground us firmly in the gospel of God’s free grace. Throughout his devotioanl readings, he displays a gift in cutting to the heart of the problem.
Each reading begins with a story or example which draws us into the problem represented by the question covered in the reading. The stories are gleaned from Baker’s ministry and life experience, and they do much to keep the book interesting. The devotional then considers the question and finds the key issue or obstacle such a question reveals. The Scripture is briefly applied to the problem at hand, and some questions for further reflection are provided. The section ends with a brief prayer pertinent to the issue.
The readings are short, 4 small pages each. Yet their message is weighty. Don’t think the book is frighteningly sober or dreadfully serious. It is, but it isn’t. Baker manages to keep the readings eminently readable, interesting and above all, helpful.
As a once-upon-a-time-legalist, I found Baker’s emphasis on grace refreshing, and his exposure of their peril of performance-based Christianity convincing. Baker also quite often gives encouragement and reminds us that we are human after all. It would be wrong to assume that Baker just offers a cheery view of the world, however. He acknowledges and addresses the grittiness of the Christian struggle. And his thoughts are grounded in Scripture. I appreciated his emphasis on the centrality of the gospel and his encouragement to focus on Jesus.
This little volume will be a blessing to you. All the more if you find yourself voicing some disturbing questions. 40 Loaves will prove to be accessible to almost any reader, and offers a high return on any investment involved in the reading. This book has made me interested in picking up some of Baker’s other devotional books. I encourage you to pick up a copy of this book, you won’t be disappointed. Also, this would make an excellent gift book, this holiday season!
This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
C. David Baker founded an award-winning business before redirecting his career to write full-time from his small farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He is the author of eight books, including six novels, one of which was nominated for a Christy Award. He has contributed articles to the Christian History Institute’s international publication Glimpses, and to Christian Singles magazine. Baker has a Master’s degree in theological studies from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Pick up a copy of this book at Amazon.com ~ Download a PDF copy of this review: 
~ Peruse my other reviews: on my blog, at Amazon.com, or at Goodreads.com.
Stay tuned for a book giveaway later this week, as part of Waterbrook’s 40 Loaves book blog tour. Learn more about this book at Waterbrook, and check out a .pdf excerpt available for this book.
Tags: blog tour, book, book blog tour, book review, Christian, Devotional, Recommended, review, WaterBrook
My blogging friend Shuan Tabatt is doing it again. He has 12 giveaways planned on his blog, sponsored by various Christian publishers. Be sure to follow his blog this Christmas season. Today, enter the contest for your chance to win a DVD from Franklin Springs Family Media.
Tags: Bible Geek Gone Wild, book, book giveaway, contest, DVD, DVD giveaway, freebie, giveaway, Shaun Tabatt
I want to encourage my readers to take some time and read Jim Elliff’s recent blog post on a practice he calls “confessionism”. As a former independent fundamental Baptist, I still tend toward a legalism of sorts that stresses performance and action to a fault. And while I never reached the level of zeal and devotion Jim describes in his post, I can certainly relate to a confusion over how the requirement to confess relates with the Gospel’s free gift of salvation.
“Confessionism” takes 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” and turns it into a general maxim for Christian living. It goes like this: confession of every known sin is required for us to experience a relationship with God and to have growth in our sanctification. This can lead one into an endless cycle of continual introspection and a zeal to remember and confess each and every known sin. What’s missing is a realization of God’s grace. Jim discusses this in depth, and explains how the context of 1 John 1:9 actually stresses the complete forgiveness we have in Christ. It is a must-read post. Go, check it out.
Tags: 1 John, 1 John 1:9, abuse, Christian living, Christianity, confession, Gospel, growth, Jim Elliff, Legalism, Recommended, Religion, sanctification, spirituality, Theology, zeal
Tyndale House has expanded the reach of its excellent Life Application Study Bible through its line of Life Application Bible Studies. These study books offer the text from the Life Application Study Bible for a specific book of the Bible, and add a study guide and workbook. The result is a perfect Bible Study booklet for use in small group Bible studies.
I was privileged to get the Hebrews NLT Life Application Bible Studies booklet through my participation in the Tyndale Blog Network. This study booklet on Hebrews is packed full of information and provides a wonderful resource to be used in all kinds of different Bible studies or small groups. Students of every level will benefit from the text study notes and the well framed questions in the workbook.
While one could argue against including the introduction to the New Living Translation and the Life Application Study Bible in a simple Bible study booklet, I actually enjoyed reading through that material. It increased my respect for the NLT translation, and made it easier to follow the study notes as presented in the Life Application Study Bible text.
After the text is given, the 13 lessons on Hebrews follow. Don’t think the lessons line up perfectly with the chapters of Hebrew (13 lessons for 13 chapters), they don’t (which I think is a good thing). The study follows the flow of Hebrews more closely. Each study starts with a reflection section, asking questions which will draw the reader into the topic the lesson is focusing on. Then the section of the text of Hebrews to read for that lesson is noted, along with which study notes are especially helpful to read. Some questions about the reading follow, and then a “realize the principle” section states the main point of the lesson in a few sentences. Several more questions follow and then a “respond to the message” section includes questions designed to help the reader/student apply the lesson to their life. A “resolve to take action” section sums up the application to be gained from that lesson, and a few points for further study are offered.
I found the questions to be both practical and true to the text. The study is careful but it doesn’t go too in-depth. The “for further study” section allows Bible study groups who want to, to explore the deeper or more controversial areas of the text. And the study notes in the text that aren’t read could provide some help for this.
What’s also nice about the study booklet is that there are spaces provided for the answers to each question to be recorded. The text is in the booklet so everything you need is in one handy source. Not every study member is likely to have the NLT text so it is nice to have it in the booklet for one to compare with their own translation. Literal translations will make a great comparison to the NLT and allow the careful reader to observe how and where the NLT makes the meaning of various passages more explicit for modern readers.
The study on Hebrews would make for an excellent adult bible study. It’s well done and allows enough of a gap for a small group leader or teacher to add his own unique input into the study. I recommend this study booklet to everyone most heartily. You can check this booklet out at Tyndale’s website, or on Amazon.com (where you can pick up a copy).
Tags: Bible, Bible study, book, book blurb, book review, Hebrews, Life Application, NLT, NT, study booklet, Tyndale House
I thought I’d use my blog here to help answer someone who contacted me with the following question:
I am looking for a discipleship resource that leans towards Calvinism. I have one by Greg Ogden called Discipleship Essentials but I am not sure where he leans as it is published by Intervarsity Press, and I found my years at InterVaristy Fellowship to be anything but leaning towards Calvinism.
I can’t think of anything right now off the top of my head. Can any of you, my readers, help with this question? I think the answer may be a help to more of my readers than just the gentleman who is inquiring.
Tags: discipleship, help, question, resources
Author: Barclay Newman (compiler)
Publisher: Hendrickson
Format: deluxe softcover
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 704
ISBN: 9783438051493
Stars: 5 of 5
The goal of many NT Greek students is to be able to read out of the Greek NT. This may be the only way proficiency in the language will be realized. The task of reading Greek is made much more difficult the more often one has to hunt down a lexicon to look up a definition for an unfamiliar word. Unfortunately, for most people, the lexicon is needed often enough to push them away from even attempting to read the Greek NT for themselves.
Barclay Newman’s The UBS Greek New Testament: A Reader’s Edition aims to make reading the Greek NT attainable by any Greek student. The New Testament is presented with footnotes for all the difficult words. Every word appearing 30 times or less in the NT will have a definition listed at the bottom of the page. All words appearing more than 30 times are defined in the back of the book in a small Greek-English dictionary. Along with the definitions at the bottom of the page, the words are parsed, and the gender of the word is noted.
It’s been several years since I’ve formally studied Greek. Yet I found this New Testament allowed me to work my way through many passages. I hope to start using it more and more and reinforce the Greek learning I have left!
The softcover version I have is quite nice. It appears quite durable, and has a smooth feel. The paper is almost as thin as you’d find in a typical Bible. It is a compact size which makes it convenient for tucking in your Bible case, or for bringing it along with your English Bible to church. The typesetting is clear, and the format of the footnotes includes the Greek word so as to make it easier to identify which footnote you are looking for. I think the size of the footnotes and the text is just right, not too large or too small.
This handy resource will benefit any who have studied or are interested in studying NT Greek. I can’t recommend this tool enough.
My thanks go out to Hendricksen Publishers for providing me with a review copy of this book, at my request.
Pick up a copy of this book at Amazon.com. ~ Download a PDF copy of this review: 
~ Peruse my other reviews: on my blog, at Amazon.com, or at Goodreads.com.
Tags: Barclay Newman, Bible, biblical languages, book review, Greek, Greek Bible, Koine Greek, language studies, New Testament, NT, resource, study tool, UBS
Someone recently asked me what I thought of the Manhattan Declaration. For those who don’t know, the declaration I’m referring to links Catholics, Greek Orthodox, and Protestants together under the banner “Christian” to stand for life and traditional marriage in our culture. It’s an attempt to stick together as Christians in our opposition to these increasingly abandoned values in our culture.
Here is my response. I understand good Christian leaders to be with me against the declaration, and others have signed it in their desire to stand for life and for transforming the culture. I haven’t really read the arguments or taken a side necessarily. But here is my perspective.
I can appreciate it for what it is, but 2 things keep me from signing.
1) It seems to single out a prizing of life and heterosexual marriage as being what Christianity is all about. I don’t think it is the role of the Church specifically to be legislating morality, as that doesn’t work due to fallen human nature. Instead we need to proclaim the gracious gospel of Christ.
2) It joins hands with Catholics and Eastern Orthodox in what could easily blur the distinctions between them and traditional Protestants. Again the gospel of salvation by grace through faith is what differentiates us from these other groups who claim the name Christian. That is an important difference that shouldn’t be obscured.
Still, I don’t think the declaration necessarily requires understanding it this way. It is just a declaration in one sense, so I can understand those who sign it. But the need of our country isn’t a united defense and legislative protection of marriage and preborn children, it needs the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not to say that life is a small cause that we shouldn’t fight for. It is to say that heterosexual only marriage (in my view), isn’t such an important cause.
For more on what I’m getting at in point 1 above, check out my post: America — A Pagan Nation? My pal Jason Skipper over at Fundamentally Changed agrees with my assessment that this declaration represents a compromise with the gospel.
But what do you think? Why or why not do you support this declaration?
Tags: Catholic, compromise, Gospel, life, manhattan declaration, marriage, morality, orthodox, pro-life, Protestant, traditional
My friend Shaun Tabatt, of Bible Geek Gone Wild, has far too many books. So he’s giving a few away this Thanksgiving weekend. Sometime on Sunday Nov. 29th, winners will be selected to receive the six books he’s giving away. So be sure to go over and comment on his post for a chance to win. He’s giving away some good titles, you’ll want to go take a peek. Happy Thanksgiving weekend to you all! And thanks, Shaun, for some book giveaway fun.
Tags: book, book giveaway, contest, freebie, Freebies, Fun, giveaway, thanksgiving
I recently came across some posts by Dr. Russell Moore (dean of the School of Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) on the subject of Communion. He has contributed to Understanding Four Views on the Lord’s Supper (a Zondervan Couterpoints book). From what I’ve seen in his post, and from the reviews at Amazon, Moore’s “Baptist” view is much more sacramental friendly then what is typical of Baptists. He prizes Communion in a way many Baptists don’t.
I’ve argued on my site for the Lord’s Supper being more than just a memorial, and also for it being more than just a thimble-sized drink with a mini-cracker. It seems Moore makes the same points.
I encourage you to take the time to check out a few posts by Dr. Moore. I’ll provide some excerpts below.
…many of our congregations come to the Table quarterly or even less often. If you ask (and I have), some of these pastors and church members will say it’s for fear of an overly ritualistic understanding of the Supper, or in order to keep the congregation from growing callous to the Supper out of repetition. But the repetition is kind of the point…..
The Lord’s Supper is proclamation, the Bible tells us: it speaks to us of the past crucifixion and the present kingdom of our Lord Christ (1 Cor. 11:26). And that’s just the point. We ignore the Supper because we don’t understand the role of gospel preaching for the believer. ~ from Why Is the Lord’s Supper So Rare?
A little bit ago, I wrote here about the scandal of the infrequency of the Lord’s Supper in so many American conservative Protestant churches. It’s a gospel issue, I believe. Our eucharistophobia atrophies gospel preaching in our churches more than I think than we realize. But imagine how you could reclaim the gospel focus of the Supper in your church….
The Lord’s Supper then should never be seen to be an afterthought, tagged on to the end of a service, perhaps after the final musical number of a visiting youth choir. This doesn’t mean the Supper needs to take a great deal of time. There’s no mandate to have a “special Lord’s Supper service,”…
The Supper should require though the same pattern as the Passover and Jesus’ institution of the Supper: explanation of God’s redemptive act followed by the enactment of it in the meal. Sinners shold be called to see in the bread and the wine their own crucifixion through the crucifixion of the Christ in whom they are hidden (Col. 3:3). It should be an opportunity to present to sinners the tangible evidence that their transgressions are forgiven. ~ from Getting the Gospel Back at the Lord’s Table
The Christian concept of the church as household necessarily entails a recovery of the Lord’s Table in our churches, especially in “low church” evangelical congregations who have, for too long, defined our vision of the Lord’s Supper too heavily on what we don’t mean.
Table fellowship is a sign of familial solidarity and of the messianic reign. This is why Jesus was so revolutionary when he announced, “Many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 8:11 ESV), and that’s why Simon Peter was so reluctant to sit down with the uncircumcised.
So why do our evangelical Lord’s Supper services so often look like the clinical communal rinse-and-spit of fluoride at an elementary school rather than like a loving family gathered around a feast table?
Often I’ll preach in churches about the Lord’s Supper and will call on congregations to go back to using a common loaf and a common cup. I’ll challenge the churches to recover the sign of bread being torn, not daintily picked up in pre-fabricated bits. I’ll call the congregations to drink the wine, together, passing along a common cup.
I’m not offended by people disagreeing me on this. I’m just stunned by the reason they most often give for dismissing this ancient Christian practice: germs. ~ from Swine Flu and the Common Cup
Be sure to read the posts in their entirety (they aren’t very long). You can also listen to a message by Dr. Moore on Why the Lord’s Table Matters. Also feel free to see my posts on the Lord’s Supper, and also on something Moore mentions in relation to Communion: preaching the Gospel to believers.
Tags: Baptist, church, communion, Devotional, eucharist, gospel for believers, Lord's Supper, ordinance, Recommended, Russell Moore, sacrament
James (Reformed Expository Commentary) by Daniel Doriani — A Review
Publisher: P & R Publishing
Format: hardcover
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 220
ISBN: 9780875527857
Stars: 5 of 5
It’s hard to keep up with all of the new commentary series available these days. Critical, expository, application, practical, scholar’s, layman’s, preacher’s, everyman’s – commentaries come in all shapes and sizes. They also run the whole gamut of theological positions. One can find a commentary to fit almost anyone’s personal taste. This is actually a good thing, as non-English speaking people could certainly attest. Availability of good resources (along with some less useful ones) is a blessing we must not take for granted.
When I asked for a book from P&R’s Reformed Expository Commentary series, to sample, I wasn’t sure quite what to expect. As it turned out, I was totally unprepared for how truly excellent a commentary actually can be.
James, by Daniel Doriani, is a joy to read – and use. I’ve been putting it to use in a men’s Bible study on the book of James. And the book serves well to that end. Not only is it an able study tool, but it would serve as excellent devotional reading material. It has the right balance of practical theology and careful scholarship.
The Reformed Expository Commentary series purposely aims to keep the volumes more pastoral and accessible to lay leaders within the church. The authors of each book in the series are pastors committed to the Reformed understanding of Bible doctrine as embodied in the Westminster Confession of Faith. Don’t let that scare you. Even if you are not reformed or Calvinist-leaning, you should be thankful for the Westminster Confession of Faith. People who ascribe to it are likely to be conservative Bible-believing scholars. They are chained to the text of Scripture, which the WCF does a good job of handling (albeit as a Baptist, I differ in at least one point).
As a pastor-scholar, Doriani is able to bring an exposition of the text to us in his commentary. He doesn’t merely break down the text, but he applies it and is free to connect the text to parallel passages in Scripture that develop the same theme. While the book goes out of its way to apply the sense of Scripture, it doesn’t become merely a written sermon. Doriani traces the flow of the text well, and seeks to cover all the questions laymen and scholars alike would have. Still, this is not a critical commentary that might delve deeply into the Greek; and so it will not be the only resource one should consult for study.
The tone of the commentary allows for more of the author’s personality to come through. We see this in Doriani’s treatment of James’ teaching on the elders praying over the sick and anointing them with oil. He shares how his study of the book of James led him to encourage his church to follow James chapter 5 in their practice. He relates two touching stories of God’s healing in answer to the prayer of the elders (and the simple faith of following God’s teaching in this matter). The personal story however, does not turn into a soap-box in any sense. Doriani is careful to cover how faith is not something obligating God to heal in every case, nor is sin behind every illness. His treatment of this passage alone, is worth the price of the book.
The most transformational passage I encountered in my own study of James (with Doriani’s help) has been chapter 1:12-17. Doriani confronts the confusing nature of verses 13 and 14 which seem to say God would never “tempt” anyone. Doriani brings out that God does “tempt” Abraham and also Moses and the Israelites, etc. Of course “tempt” can mean “test”, or “trial”, and context is king here. But Doriani helped me to really get the sense of of the overall teaching of that passage. Here is an excerpt that is especially helpful.
This insight is going to stick with me my whole life, Tests offer two alternative responses: endurance & faith or selfish desire/doubt/blaming God. Our choice is important, we must not be deceived. But this topic (covered in verses 12-16) flows right into verse 17 which says every good gift comes from God. Tests, in the context of James chapter 1, then, are God’s gifts to us!
The extended quote above also serves to illustrate Doriani’s style in two ways. Notice first, the end of the first paragraph, where he looks beyond the focus of the text in James to the teaching of other Scripture as well. Second, the last paragraph above shows how Doriani is always looking for the gospel. We do fail life’s tests, what then?
This gospel focus serves readers well as they encounter James through this book. James can be seen as merely a book of practical advice or a collection of commands, yet sprinkled throughout the book are elements of Gospel. And it is the gospel which makes sense of James. Doriani shows us how to see James as complementary to Paul, and warns against a legalistic approach to the book.
I cannot more highly recommend this resource. If other titles in the series are as well put together, and as helpful as this book, I am going to want to collect them all. I suspect you will too.
My thanks go out to Presbyterian and Reformed Publishers for providing me with a review copy of this book.
Daniel M. Doriani (M.Div., Ph.D., Westminster Theological Seminary; S.T.M., Yale Divinity School) is senior pastor of Central Presbyterian Church, Clayton, Missouri. He previously was dean of faculty and professor of New Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, and the author of Getting the Message: A Plan for Interpreting and Applying the Bible, Putting the Truth to Work: The Theory and Practice of Biblical Application, and The Sermon on the Mount: The Character of a Disciple.
Pick up a copy of this book at Amazon.com or support a Christian ministry with your purchase at Monergism Books or Westminster Bookstore ~ Download a PDF copy of this review:
~ Peruse my other reviews: on my blog, at Amazon.com, or at Goodreads.com.
Tags: Bible, bible studies, Bible study, book, book review, commentary, Daniel Doriani, expository, James, New Testament, P & R, Presbyterian, Reformed, reformed expository commentary, study tool