Book Review: The Essential Bible Companion to the Psalms

I have not often been able to find an easy, insightful and helpful look into the Psalms, either in groups or individually. The Essential Bible Companion to the Psalms is all of these things.

It begins with introductory explanations of the Psalms, both from perspective (i.e. the Psalms as songs, ceremony, prayers or book) and from groups, outlining Psalms of praise, Psalms of thanksgiving, Psalms of lament, etc.

The authors, Brian Webster and David Beach, included everything necessary for someone new to the Psalms. Anyone could pick up this (eye-pleasing) book and read it alongside the Bible and gain "key insights for reading God's Word", as the subtitle of the book claims.

Each Psalm is given a page's worth of explanation. The authors delve into seven insights per Psalm:

- Theme

- Type

- Author

- Background

- Structure

- Special Notes

- Reflection

Each of these, fitting all together on a page, gives enough information to get the idea, while leaving it simple enough to understand. I found the special notes, structure and background especially fascinating.

I could easily pass this book on to my younger siblings as a helpful study of the Psalms. Likewise, I could just as easily give this book to any pastor or teacher as a resource for their preaching or teaching. I would definitely recommend it.

The Gift of Music

I just finished reading "The Gift of Music" by Jane Stuart Smith and Betty Carlson. It was a book that featured some of the great composers of history, and their influence upon life, culture, and especially music.

It was a great book. It gave brief introductions into the lives of nearly fifty composers, from Schütz to Shostakovich.

The neat thing about each of these composers was their outlook on life, and how that affected their music. Bach, for instance, believed that everything he could do with music was a gift from God, and he made a point of glorifying God every time he composed.

"I feel strongly that all the arts, and particularly music,

should be placed in the service of Him

who has created and given them." ~ Martin Luther

Other composers also had faith in God, and devoted their music to His glory. They used it as another means to praise Him.

Psalm 101:1

"I will sing of steadfast love and justice;

to you, O Lord, I will make music."

Yet others, though, were atheist, nihilist...there was a full range of beliefs among the great composers.

It was interesting to see what their outlook was on life, and how that influenced their music. Some resorted to near-chaos within their songs, trying to make sense of senselessness, while others preferred the order and beauty that they felt reflected the order that God had created.

Some of them died in despair, others with peace.

Many of them died poor, but left a lasting impression on the world through the music they left behind.

I enjoyed this book, since I enjoy music.

As the authors put it,

"We are not speaking of something unimportant, although some may feel that art, music, and literature are the extras in life. Alfred Einstein in his book Greatness in Music made this startling statement: 'Artistic greatness is both more permanent and universal than historical greatness.'"

Now that I'm done reading it, I think that I will start back at page one. :)

Book Review: Thin Places

I feel very inadequate to give a review for such a life-changing, personal book, but I want to spread the word. This book is too good - too honest - to miss.

In Thin Places: A Memoir (Zondervan), Mary DeMuth opens up the poignant reality: God is there in the midst of our sorrow and pain. Mrs. DeMuth is honest about her suffering and real about her responses. She writes of "thin places" in her life - places where "eternity and the mundane meet". She writes all the details of the tragedy that encompassed her in her early life. She delves into areas that most people would keep secret.

Her reason for this is plain: it is not to make us feel sorry for her, but to show us that even there, even in that dark and dirt, God is there and God is love. When you feel worthless and unworthy, God chooses you anyway. He is there to redeem and rescue.

This book is one of the best memoirs I have ever read. Mrs. DeMuth holds nothing back, and in doing so she is reaching out to anyone who has ever suffered and wondered where God was during those terrible times.

Part of me wants to hoard Thin Places and keep its treasure here with me; another part of me wants to share it with as many people as possible. There is hope written on every page.

I know it is only early February, but this book is one of my favourites of 2010.

Suffering and the Sovereignty of God

"Suffering and the Sovereignty of God" by John Piper and friends is probably one of the best books I have read so far this year.

It has really been a blessing. There are nine chapters, each written by a different person, each person having gone through specific suffering, and learned something of the sovereignty of God through their particular suffering.

The neat thing about the book was that it led me to praise God, more than leading me to dwell on the theological side of things (though the book certainly was theological - and full of truth!). Because God being sovereign in suffering is an absolute truth, I can praise Him and dwell on His absolute goodness. I can trust Him in the darkest of times.

These are the chapters (reading these almost gives you a full lesson on the sovereignty of God):

1) Ten Aspects of God's Sovereignty over Suffering and Satan's Hand In It - John Piper

2) "All the Good That Is Ours In Christ": Seeing God's Gracious Hand in the Hurt Others Do To Us - Mark R. Talbot

3) The Suffering of Christ and the Sovereignty of God - John Piper

4) Why God Appoints Suffering For His Servants - John Piper

5) Sovereignty, Suffering, and the Work of Missions - Stephen F. Saint

6) The Sovereignty of God and Ethnic-based Suffering - Carl F. Ellis, Jr.

7) God's Grace and Your Sufferings - David Powlison

8) Waiting For the Morning During the Long Night of Weeping - Dustin Shramek

9) Hope...The Best of Things - Joni Eareckson Tada

I'd recommend this book to anyone.

Click here for a pdf copy.

Book Review #1: Faith Alone by R. C. Sproul

"It is entirely by the intervention of Christ's righteousness that we obtain justification before God. This is equivalent to saying that man is not just in himself, but that the righteousness of Christ is communicated to him by imputation, while he is strictly deserving of punishment."

- John Calvin

I made a New Year's resolution to read one theology book per week, as we have so many books that I have not yet read. I wish to read them all, and I figure a book per week will take me a few years - not that long.  

As we are now into the second week of January, I am now on my second book. I finished the first one a little bit late - I took my time with it. 

Faith Alone by R. C. Sproul is an excellent book. It highlights the doctrinal issue of sola fide - Sproul brings to the table the importance of faith alone for Christians.

The background for the entire book is the debate between the Reformers and Roman Catholicism. What was (and is) the difference between the two parties? 

Sproul outlined the logic followed by the Reformers:

"1. Justification by faith alone is essential to the gospel.

2. The gospel is essential to Christianity and to salvation.

3. The gospel is essential to a church's being a true church.

4. To reject justification by faith alone is to reject the gospel and fall as a church."

Rome disagreed with the stand the Reformers took. It was agreed that faith is necessary for salvation, but Rome considered "faith alone" to be heresy.  They believe that faith and works sprouts justification, while the Reformation view is that faith sprouts justification and works. 

Let me clarify: Reformation belief does not negate the need for works. Faith without works is a dead (or barren) faith. Real living faith in a real living God brings about fruit in good works. We do not do works so that we may be viewed as good, we do works to please our God. We do them not for our sake, but for God's. This is the difference between Roman Catholicism and Puritanism, and it is a weighty difference indeed. 

It is, in fact, so weighty a difference that men and women were willing to stand up to the great Church no matter the consequences. 

The question comes up: were Paul and James at odds with one another? Paul states that we are justified by faith. James states that it is not faith alone that justifies but works also. (James 2)

At first it seems like James is contradicting Paul, until we look closer. What James is saying is that mature faith brings works - works are not the basis of faith but the result. 

This is where we need to understand that faith is the essential to salvation - but if you are not doing good works for God's glory, you need to search yourself to find if your faith is real and living. This is a warning not from me, but from the Gospel itself. 

Let me explain this in my own words.

1) No one is righteous, not one. (Romans 3:9-20) Mankind as a whole is corrupt, with no one being able to save themselves through the good they can accomplish. All the good we do is as dirty rags. 

2) If our righteous acts are filthy rags, they are a disgusting abomination to God. Even our good acts are sinful acts. How then can we think to save ourselves through any work of our own? 

3) Praise God that it is not up to our acts! God justifies us by grace as a gift through Jesus Christ. (Romans 3:21-31) 

4) Jesus died for our sake and was raised in order that we might be justified. Justification comes through Christ alone, not through any virtue we might possess. (Romans 5)

5) If righteousness were through the law, Christ died for no purpose. (Galatians 2:15-21) This is an important thing to remember. If we could in any way earn our own righteousness through works or thoughts or anything else, Christ need not have died for us - He could have sat back and watched how many righteous men and women could make it to Heaven. This was not possible. Christ had to die because man could not help himself - we were dead in our trespasses and sins until Christ gave us life. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father but through Him. 

6) The Law (and therefore works) was a guardian, and we no longer need it because Christ has come. Faith nullifies the need for a guardian. We do not now follow the Law because we must; we follow God's law because we wish to please Him. All things are lawful, not all things are beneficial - What brings Christ glory? This is what we should do. 

Roman Catholicism should take heed of this warning: 

Galatians 5:4 - "You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace."

If we rely on anything but God's grace through faith in Christ Jesus, we are on the wrong path. We need to repent and turn back to godly living, trusting in Christ and Christ alone. 

It is not faith + works = justification. It is faith = justification + works. They are not compatible - one is Biblical and the other is heretical. 

In closing, I would suggest this book to anyone who wishes to refresh their minds regarding just why we call ourselves Puritans. Sproul calls us to remembrance. Read the word and confirm your faith. 

As Calvin said, 

"Let it therefore remain settled that this proposition is exclusive, that we are justified in no other way than by faith, or, which comes to the same thing, that we are justified by faith alone."