Biblical Man.org » book review

Counterfeit Gods – Review

cgray — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:09:55 +0000

The first Part of this book really brings to life what an idol is, why we are drawn to them, and what happens in our lives when we worship anything but God alone. Keller does a great job of cutting through all the surface issues and getting to the heart of our idolatry! He takes a good deal of time to deal with the more common “secular” idols i.e. sex, relationships, wealth, power, etc. proving that Christ is better by far. The last few chapters really hit home with me and helped me make sure I paid attention to my own life that I don’t fall into religious idolatry. He spends some time letting us know that we, inside the church, are just as susceptible to idolatry as those who have not met Christ yet. Keller does such a great job of using theology, philosophy, and sociology woven into beautiful, easy-to-understand illustrations to make his point. A great read!

Spiritual Depression – Review

jreinblatt — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:33:11 +0000

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones was perhaps one of the most influential Evangelicals of the twentieth century. His book Spiritual Depression is a compilation of twenty-one sermons he preached at Westminster Chapel in London. Drawing from Psalm 42:5,11, Lloyd-Jones diagnoses many problems that Christians encounter on a day-to-day basis.

Lloyd-Jones unpacks issues that can cause Christians to lose their joy in Christ. Those who pick up this book will find many practical applications that can apply to their lives as they seek to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. For example, one of the reasons that Christians do not experience joy in following Christ is because we fail to realize the greatness of the Gospel. In addition, the Gospel is meant to govern and control every aspect of our lives.

If, like me, you are prone to excessive introspection which can leave you despairing over your sin, this book is for you. If you struggle to be joyful for any reason, Lloyd-Jones does an excellent job describing likely reasons and giving scriptural counsel to apply to your life.

By and large, Spiritual Depression is about preaching the gospel to ourselves and applying it to all aspects of life. Authors like C.J. Mahaney, Jerry Bridges, and Tim Keller, follow Lloyd-Jones’ example in this excellent book.

Finally Alive – Review

cgray — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 05:18:42 +0000

Have you ever really wondered what actually happened at the point of salvation? In this book John Piper, pastor, speaker, author, and theologian explains his thoughts on the doctrine of regeneration with a plethera of scripture references. He tells the reader what happens at the point of salvation, how we were saved, what God’s roll was in our regeneration, what our roll was in regeneration, how we can know we are saved, how we can shre this great grace and mercy with others, and several other topics.

This is one of those doctrines that tends to get overlooked with all the talk about how depraved we are from birth and how we can not choose God in that state, etc. It was a refreshing read. To finally hear someone talk about the miracle of rebirth and what God does in and through us by the power of His Holy Spirit was a great compliment to the other books and articles on our sinful state before salvation. He never says we are perfect, but why and how we fight sin. It gave me a sense of comfort and joy in the great gift I have been give in Christ my God!

Knowing God – Review

cgray — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:37:14 +0000

This is a MUST READ for every believer in Christ! It is so helpful in introducing you to the actual study of God through the Holy Scriptures, but at the same time the emphasis of the book is, as stated, knowing God. Meaning that the author points out there is no need of formal theological training to know God more intimately. His main point is that digging into the Word is how God speaks to us, therefore, finding out through the Word how God relates to us and how we are to relate and respond to Him is of the utmost importance.
This is a book I have read twice now and it will for sure be on my list of books that I read on an annual basis. It helps, as you read, to check yourself to make sure you are trying to know God and not just digging into the Word for doctrinal and theological statements. Though those are important, knowing God is the the fuel that drives our entire lives and the loftiest goal we could ever strive for!