Book Reveiws Out of My Ears

Well...not quite out of my ears. It's not like I'm reviewing eight books or something. However, I am going to do two short reviews. Recently, Justin Taylor of "Between Two Worlds", put out a generous offer. To anyone who so desired, he would send pdf files (that means Adobe Acrobat) of two upcoming releases from Crossway Books for that person to read and review a few chapters. Subsequently, if that person posted a review on his/her blog and on Amazon.com, then Crossway would send them a free copy of both books when they came out. So, I took part in it and thus...this blog. The books were "Suffering and the Sovereignty of God" - the book format of the 2006 Desiring God National Conference - and "Overcoming Sin and Temptation" by John Owen (edited by Justin Taylor and Kelly M. Kapic).

Suffering and the Sovereignty of God Review

-Sobering. As we live in a culture in which we get lost in the minutiae of every day, this book makes one stop and think. To read about God’s plan for pain is jolting; which, if you think about it, it is quite unbiblical that suffering be such a shock. Jesus came in order to suffer; the Son of Man was a martyr for his Father’s plan. After Jesus blinded Saul on the road to Damascus, he sent Ananias to heal his eyes and told him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” Nothing about the life of the apostles seemed easy. We are even guaranteed that if we desire to live godly lives in Christ, we will suffer. Therefore, the church in America can not continue on the path it has taken; that is, being - and becoming more - detached from suffering. This book, bucking the trend of contemporary society, grabs hold of timeless truths from God’s Word and confronts the issue of suffering and death. It brings to its readers the comfort of knowing that in death and in suffering God remains in sovereign control.

Overcoming Sin and Temptation Review

-“If vain spending of time, idleness, unprofitableness in men’s places, envy, strife, variance, emulations, wrath, pride, worldliness, selfishness be badges of Christians, we have them on us and among us in abundance…The good Lord send out a spirit of mortification to cure our distempers, or we are in a sad condition!” -Owen. Reading John Owen on sin feels as though he has tapped into my own mind’s infirmities. His reflections on the subject of sin and temptation make me know that not only does he know what the Bible says particularly about sin, but also that he is honest with his own thought-life and applies the Word. I feel as though I waste time hacking at the fruits of sin, while Owen swings a mighty axe at the root; severing anything that might dare spring up and flower. What’s more, is that this particular book is – I feel – more accessible than some of Owen’s other readings due to the faithful work of its editors. Justin Taylor and Kelly Kapic do a great job of analyzing Owen and giving suggestions on how to read and think about the man behind the writing as well as the writing itself.

So, there you have it. I would especially encourage anyone in my generation to read these books, as they are written by older saints who have gone before us and who have remained faithful in the ministry of the gospel.