Good booksOur Father – Enjoying God in Prayer written by Richard Coekin available from Intervarsity Press.Most of us know the Lord’s Prayer either in its new or old form. Prayer however needs to be re-discovered and Richard takes us on a very interesting journey of discovery. He takes us into the depths of the Lord’s Prayer, showing us how it can transform our lives and how it can be applied in our everyday life through some very practical illustrations. He touches on issues such as the fact that God’s very name is God-provider and therefore when we ask our Lord for our daily bread we, using our own gifts in conjunction with God’s great goodness toward us, can provide for ourselves. I would highly recommend this very good book. Rico Tice (author of Christianity Explored) describes it as, “ … a thrilling book that gave him the desire to pray and crystallises Christ’s priorities for our lives. “
When the game is over, it all goes back in the box written by John Ortberg available from Zondervan and Willow Publishing. During 2009 we all saw that ultimately everything we have can vanish in a few moments when the Banks go bust. However, we must also all remember that when we come to die, whether we have a large house, large car, large salary or a large wad of savings tucked away, there is nothing that we can retain. We will leave it all behind for our relatives. In this book, John Ortberg reflects on the fact that when he was a child and played chess with his Grandma she would tell him that it did not matter how well he played, at the end of the game all the pieces go back in the box. He calls us to consider the fact that ultimately we ought to be looking at our Heavenly inheritance rather than our earthly inheritance.
The Life written by J. John and Chris Walley published by Authentic Many of us think we know intimately the life and person of Jesus. We have read the Gospels and feel we understand it in the greatest detail. This book challenges us to take a fresh look at the importance of Jesus. It calls us to review the call of His mission; look afresh at what He taught and the nature of His miracles. It enables us to reconnect in a new and vibrant way with the Jesus we all think we know. I found the most challenging and connecting passage to be the one on that dealt with Resurrection. Great detail is given of Jesus’ appearances post-Resurrection to each of the people who appear in the Bible stories, the nature of each of the appearances that took place and the facts that drove the early Church out to grow what we now know as the Church in England. I would highly recommend this book.
When I don’t desire God. How to fight for joy written by John Piper available through Christ Is All Media Publications. For over 25 years John Piper has trumpeted the truth that God is most glorified and in Him we are most satisfied. He calls it Christian hedonism. The problem is that many people, after having been persuaded, find that this truth is both liberating and devastating. It is liberating because it endorses our inborn desire for joy and is devastating because it reveals that we don’t desire God the way we should. Piper argues that joy is so much more. Our being satisfied by God is necessary to show God’s worthiness and to sustain sacrifices of love. He shows that Jesus endured the Cross for the joy that was set before Him. He tasted it; it sustained Him through the deepest suffering; His Father was glorified; His people were saved. That is what joy in God does. Piper proposes that we consider the urgent question, “What can I do if I don’t have joy, the pastor’s heart and the radical passion for the glory of Christ?” In his book, Piper helps us answer that question and discover real joy in all its deepest and most wonderful completeness.
Opening up the Bible written by David Jackman available from Hodder & Stoughton. Most of us like to think we know the Bible inside out. We understand it and we know exactly what part the Bible plays in the life of our Church. Alistair McGrath comments that David Jackman’s book is an excellent explanation and defence of the central role of the Bible in Christian life and thought which deserves to be widely read and studied. The book deals quite beautifully with how we unpack the Old Testament; what Bible passages really mean; can we trust the Bible and whether the Bible is contradictory. It also helps us understand the New Testament in some detail. The book is highly endorsed by the Principal of the London Bible College, Derek Tidnall.
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