Pastor's Library

Believing God: 12 Biblical Promises Christians Struggle to Accept

R.C. Sproul, Jr., Reformation Trust, Lake Mary, Fla., 2009, ISBN 9781567691122, 135 pages, $18.00, hardcover.

Evangelical Christians are known for their beliefs in the accuracy and power of Scripture, the power of Christ for salvation, and the sovereignty and goodness of God. In Believing God, however, R.C. Sproul, Jr. draws a distinction between “believing in”, and “believing”; he contends that even the most doctrinally sound individuals struggle to take God at His word and accept His promises as the reality that they represent.

 Sproul builds his case by outlining in 12 chapters 12 of God’s key promises from the Scriptures (from “All Scripture is profitable” [2 Tim 3:16] to “Children are a heritage” [Psalm 127] to “We shall be like Him” [1 John 3:2]) that, if we truly believed them, would have tremendous ramifications for our lives.

Each chapter introduces a promise, examines why we refuse to accept it, discusses the consequences of our disbelief in that particular area, and exposits what the results of our belief would and should look like. The book is short (I read it in just two sittings), but its implications are profound.

In writing this book, Sproul confronts the reader (and, I’m sure he would argue, himself as well) with some painful but much needed truths. In examining God’s faithfulness to His Word, he lays bare the foolish, prideful, and yet hidden skepticism that Satan uses to keep us from listening to and obeying the Lord. We are too quick to forget that God is who He says He is, relying instead on our own “wisdom” and what we know about Him to guide my walk. This book is a powerful reminder of the folly, danger, and destructive nature of that subtle heresy.

Every Christian should read this book, and from there read God’s Word with fresh eyes, looking to see what He has promised us and called us to. If the Church forgets what it means to believe, all else about it will crumble.

Justin Lonas

Target: All
Type: Faith/Promises of God
Take: Highly Recommended

Why Does God Allow Suffering and Evil?

John Ankerberg and Dillon Burroughs, AMG Publishers, Chattanooga, 2008, ISBN 9780899577821, 107 pages, $7.99, softcover.

This brief study booklet is another of Ankerberg and Burroughs’ Contenders Bible Study Series. As the title suggests, the authors tackle the age-old question of sin and suffering. Using Scripture as their primary resource, they point out that suffering was not in God’s original plan for humanity. When our first parents disobeyed God’s explicit instructions, hell’s power was loosed on the earth.

The writers explain that personal suffering is not necessarily a result of something we have done. God does not operate “tit-for-tat”. Rather, the principle of sin in the world causes misery in the world both to the evil and to the righteous—the righteous often suffer wrong while evildoers prosper.

Even as they attempt to help readers grasp the concepts behind the struggle, they remind us that we must leave in God’s hands what we cannot hope to presently understand. We can be assured that the final outcome will reward those who have received Jesus Christ as Lord. The ultimate end for Satan and all those who have refused God’s offer of salvation will be eternal separation from His holy presence.

The book is far more suited to a Sunday school or small group study than to individual reading. There are certainly better and more thorough works on the subject, but Ankerberg and Burroughs break down the central arguments in a compelling fashion that opens doors to further study and greater trust in God’s sovereignty.

Glen Jones

Target: All
Type: Understanding Suffering
Take: Recommended

Leadership from the Inside Out: Examining the Inner Life of a Healthy Church Leader

Kevin Harney, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 2007, ISBN 9780310259435, 197 pages, 16.99, softcover.

Many have pointed out that leadership must begin on the inside and work its way outward. In Inside Out, Kevin Harney discusses the inward qualities that make a leader effective for his calling. The author uses body parts—mind, eyes, ears, mouth, heart, hands, back, and funny bone—to illustrate the characteristics for effective, godly leadership.

The godly leader, Harney reminds us, must lead by example. Consistent attention to one’s spiritual life must be a priority. Prayer and Bible study must first be for the leader’s own life before it can touch others. If one’s personal life does not match his instruction, then effective spiritual change will not take hold on the hearers. A leader must keep his eyes and ears open to discern what is happening around him. He will then be equipped to act and react to the situation.

Two essential ingredients of spiritual leadership are frequently overlooked—humor and restraint and accountability in sexual matters. Humor often allows tense staff situations to be defused. The author cites several examples of staff practical jokes that have eased the tension of perplexing situations. The leader, too, must deliberately draw boundaries around his interaction with those of the opposite sex. Sexual temptation usually begins with incidental or innocent interaction. Harney offers several suggestions to keep oneself above reproach.

Further notes in the back of the book make it an effective resource for further staff or individual instruction.

Glen Jones

Target: Leadership Training
Type: Personal Instruction
Take: Highly Recommended

John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, and Doxology

Burk Parsons, editor, Reformation Trust Publishing, Lake Mary, Fla., 2008, ISBN 9781567691061, 257 pages, $19.00, hardcover.

July 10, 2009, marks the 500th birthday of John Calvin. A distinguished group of twenty Reformed theologians have contributed to this volume that examines the life, preaching, and writings of this theological giant. The book is more concerned with extracting lessons from Calvin’s life and ministry than simply recounting his story.

The book’s 19 chapters each cover different aspects of Calvin’s life and theology, covering topics ranging from his preaching and counseling to his Christology and soteriology. Contributors, including John MacArthur, Thabiti Anyabwile, and Harry Reeder, dig deep to illuminate Calvin’s character and liberate his reputation from the abuses of his name and theology by many through the centuries. Their work reveals a man who was passionately devoted not only to God and His Word but to the teaching of that Word for the equipping believers for righteousness.

The writers show that Calvin’s personal life was one of absolute surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. Personal accomplishment will not stand the test of eternity unless the individual rests his case with the finished work of Christ. Calvin’s personal life mirrored his intense devotion to the truths of Scripture.

The book is the most accessible introduction to Calvin and the basic teachings of Reformed theology in recent memory, with material to engage the skeptic and encourage all believers to take to heart God’s sovereignty over all creation and the absolute wonder of His grace in calling fallen sinners to Himself.

Glen Jones/Justin Lonas

Target: All
Type: Biography/Theology
Take: Highly Recommended

Pulpit Helps Magazine, a ministry of AMG International, is the pastor’s one-stop-shop for tools to effectively serve a congregation. Founded in 1975 by Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, Pulpit Helps is dedicated to the mission of equipping our readers with a greater understanding of the words of Scripture so that they can adequately fulfill their calling as Christ’s ambassadors. It is to that end that we provide sermon starters, bulletin inserts, illustrations and quality articles on preaching, counseling, Christian living, and more.