"Desiring God" by John Piper

 Though “Desiring God” by John Piper has been around for a long time, this is the first time I have read it, and I am extremely glad that I did. (This review is for the revised edition that was released in 2011).

John Piper has done a wonderful job of challenging and encouraging the reader at the same time. He shows that we are to seek our joy and take pleasure in God in all things and in all circumstances. Through his definition of “Christian Hedonism” he makes the case that it is not wrong for us to want joy and to seek it out as we “glorify and enjoy him forever” because “God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him”.

“Desiring God” really shows what the life of a Christian is and should be. It was a great reminder that in all circumstances we should find our joy in the Lord. One particular chapter that really encouraged me was entitled “Suffering”, while one that challenged me was entitled “Missions”. At the back of the book is a study guide as well that you can use for small groups or even yourself. This book is a healthy addition to my library and I recommend that you add it to yours as well.

Note: Thanks to WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for providing this book to me in exchange for this honest review as part of their Blogging for Books program.

The Priest with Dirty Clothes by R.C. Sproul

 

I am constantly on the lookout for good books to read to my children. So it was great when I came across and was able to review “The Priest with Dirty Clothes” by R.C. Sproul.

 The story is based upon Zechariah 3:1-15, and does a wonderful job of conveying the biblical truths found in that passage in a way that is easy for children to understand. I read it to my daughters (a 6yr old and 3yr old) and they were completely captivated by the storyline and beautiful illustrations. When we were finished reading, I asked them the questions that are provided at the end of the book and my oldest daughter was able to answer most of them, showing that she comprehended the biblical truths the story was trying to convey.

It’s been awhile since I have found such a great children's book as this one. 

This is my favorite of R.C. Sproul’s children's books he has written to date and I know that we will return to it again and again during our family reading time. So, that being said, I think this should be in every family’s home library.

 A review copy of this book was provided by Reformation Trust in exchange for an honest review.

Upside by Bradley R.E. Wright

What if the world was actually getting better? This is what author Bradley Wright sets out to prove in his new book “Upside: Surprising news about the state of our world”. 

Most people are inclined to think that the world is continuing to get worse and worse on a daily basis. From television, magazines, and newspapers, we are constantly being shown how society is deteriorating. Now, that may be true in certain areas, but what Wright shows us is that there has been a constant increase in our quality of life over the last few centuries and that there is a wealth of data to prove this.

This book is full of great charts, graphs, and statistics. Almost every page has some form data to peruse and look at. Some of the areas that he covers are the economy, environment, crime, marriages, health and many others. Being someone who LOVES statistics, this was exactly what I was looking for in a book like this. Many of the subjects he addresses I had no idea were improving. Wright shows that we can’t just look at the day to day or even the year to year to judge how things are going, but looking back over the decades and even centuries is where you get a good picture of how far things have improved. He acknowledges that there are many areas that we need to continue to work on as a society and gives his opinion and solutions in how to do that at the end of the book.

It is really refreshing to see a book like this come out instead of the usual doomsday books that pack the shelves of bookstores. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is obsessed with statistics like I am or anyone who is interested in seeing for themselves how things are on the upside!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review. My opinion of this book is my own and was not influenced by the publisher or author.

"Why God Won't Go Away" By Alister McGrath

I just recently finished Alister McGrath’s new book “Why God Won’t Go Away: Is the New Atheism Running on Empty?” In this book, McGrath gives us an overview of the New Atheist movement by introducing us to the current champions of the movement, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens. He defines their goals and objectives by turning to their own writings and shows us that the primary proponent behind this new form of Atheism is a hatred of all things religious. McGrath points out the follies behind these men’s ideas and shows the illogical and unreasonable nature of their arguments. He also shows that the movement’s quick rise in popularity is already waning and that many cracks are forming within its ranks.

Prior to reading this book I knew next to nothing about the “New Atheism”. I found this book to be very informative on the subject. The hostile and militant nature of these atheists is something I am glad to be aware of. One qualm I had was that I didn’t like that McGrath spent time discussing the merits of religion instead of that of the one true faith, Christianity. Although McGrath mentions that he is a Christian, he seemed to try to defend all religions in general against atheism. So, aside from that, I highly recommend this book for those who are interested in knowing what the New Atheism is all about.

I would like to thank Thomas Nelson for this review copy.

"The Mighty Weakness of John Knox" Review

“The Mighty Weakness of John Knox” is a part of the “A Long Line of Godly Men Profile” series published by Reformation Trust Publishing. In this short biography of John Knox, Douglas Bond shows how God took a weak and frail man, and used him to transform an entire nation for Christ. As Bond points out, Knox, when asked to be a preacher to the garrison at St. Andrews Castle, “broke into tears and hurried from the room.” This is not the Knox that comes to mind when you hear him spoken of. It is easy to think of a thundering, confident, and powerful man only. Bond shows a man who is humble and doesn’t dare to trust in his own power or strength. We are shown the source of Knox’s powerful preaching, writing, and shepherding, and that God can use any saint who is completely submitted to Him and wholly concerned with His glory, to accomplish great and powerful things for the Kingdom of Christ.

I was truly blessed by this book. It reminded me that by God’s grace, I too could be used by him for the building up of his kingdom. Though not an extensive work on the life of John Knox, it is a great introduction to him, and makes you want to learn more about this Godly man and the life he lived. I hope that through this small book, many will look at Knox in a different light. May God raise up more men like him in our own time!

I would like to thank Reformation Trust Publishing for this review copy.

"How Rome Fell" By Adrian Goldsworthy

"How Rome Fell" is a book that takes a different approach as to why Rome fell. Most learned in history class that Rome, in the end, finally succumbed to the onslaught of the mighty barbarian invasions that took place over centuries. While this is partially true, Adrian Goldsworthy argues in his book that it was the internal pressures of constant civil war and mismanagement by emperors that continually had an eroding effect on the empire. Usurpation by generals, governors, or whoever had an army loyal to him, was a common occurrence.
Goldsworthy maintains throughout the book that the barbarian tribes were the least of Rome's worries. They were truly no match for Rome's armies. The first priority of every emperor was to retain his power and position against any usurper. This fact heavily influenced Imperial policy. Emperors were fearful to give too large an army to any one man for fear he would one day turn that army against him. Foreign enemies were always a second thought to this. Goldsworthy shows that the only force that ever came close to matching that of Rome's was Persia, and even they by a long shot. Of course there were raids by both the barbarians and Persians into Roman territory, but these never threatened the overthrow of the empire. The constant civil wars were a continual drain on Rome's manpower and resources. In the end, the continual effect of this made Rome weak and vulnerable to the tribes of barbarians living within and without their borders. The eastern empire would go on to last another millennium after the west collapsed, but it would be nothing compared to the united empire of ages past.
I found this book to be really interesting and at times hard to put down. It is packed with detailed information and covers six centuries of Roman history from Marcus Aurelius to Justinian. It was the first in-depth book on Rome that I have read and would highly recommend it to any ancient history lover or history buff in general.