Last week I posted my list
of the 7 best books read in 2015. Now I must add three amazing books I read in
mid to late December just finishing the third one on 12-31. After Christmas I
had time to read and what a joy these books are. Each of these books is as good or
better than the seven I listed last week. They each informed, inspired and
touched me.
The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World
John Piper and Justin
Taylor, General Editors
This is an excellent book
that will teach Christians how to respond reasonably to the unbelief in today’s
postmodern world. Each chapter is by a well known theologian. I was familiar
with all of them except Voddie Baughan, Jr. He wrote Chapter 2 Truth and the
Supremacy of Christ and this chapter was particularly helpful to me – so
helpful that I wrote up a summary of the chapter and shared it with my
granddaughter who is a freshman in college and will be taking a philosophy
class next semester. This chapter is highlighted with Colossians 1:15-21
insights. And I discovered in my own bible the section is called The Supremacy
of Christ!
Here’s my summary of Chapter
2 using many of the words of the author:
The two major competing
worldviews today are Christian theism and secular humanism. How do they each
answer: the question of God, the question of man, the question of truth, and
the question of ethics?
The question of God:
Christian theism – God is
necessary, intelligent and all powerful.
Humanism – There is no
supernatural being, no god.
The question of Man:
Christian – Man was made in the image of God, a special creation.
Humanism – A single-celled
organism run amuck – a glorified ape who has lost most of his hair and gained
two opposable thumbs, a cosmic accident with no rhyme or reason.
The question of truth:
Christian – Truth is absolute, it is true for all people in all places at all
times.
Humanism – Classic Humanism
rejects truth and believes nature is a closed system. There is nothing
supernatural. Postmodern Humanism rejects “naturalistic materialism” in favor
of philosophical pluralism and experientialism. Postmodern Humanism rejects
truth in favor of experience.
The question of ethics:
Christian – Ethics, moral
rights and wrongs are absolute, morality is rooted in the eternal, unchanging
character of God
Humanism – Ethics are
completely cultural and negotiable. There are no absolute truths.
Humanism’s Answers to Life’s Ultimate
Questions:
Who Am I? Humanism says you are an accident. You are a
mistake. You are a glorified ape. You are the result of random evolutionary
processes.
Why Am I Here? You are here to consume and enjoy.
What is Wrong with the World? People are insufficiently educated or insufficiently
governed.
How Can What is Wrong be
Made Right? The solution to our woes
is more education and more government. The world is far more educated than it
was during World War I. Are we seeing fewer wars? No. So is the answer in
more government? Man doesn’t improve by being governed. We just find more loop
holes and exploit them.
Christian Answers to Life’s Ultimate Questions:
Who Am I? You can’t figure out who you are until you decide
who Jesus is. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. He is the exact
representation of the Father. He is God with us, God among us. He is the
Almighty, “for by him all things were created.” (Col 1: 12-21) When you believe in the supremacy of God you will
know who you are. You will say
“I am the crowning glory of
the creation of God.”
Why Am I Here? The ultimate purpose of all things is to bring
Christ glory and honor. He is to have supremacy and preeminence in your life.
The reason for my existence goes far beyond consumption and enjoyment
What is Wrong with the
World? You are hostile to the One by whom and for
whom you were created. All of us are. In short, sin is what’s wrong with the
world. The problem is I start with myself as the measure of all things. I judge
God based on how well he carries out my agenda for the world. I want a God who
is omnipotent but not sovereign. If he is both, I am at his mercy.
How Can What is Wrong be
Made Right?
Here’s what Colossians 1:
21-23 NLT says:
“You were his enemies,
separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought
you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his
own human body. As a result he has brought you into the presence of God and you
are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. But you
must continue to believe this truth and stand in it firmly. Don’t drift away
from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.”
What is wrong can be made
right by the substitutionary, atoning death of Christ. There is no other means
by which man may be justified.
Every other religion in the
world says “You need to have a religious experience, and from that moment on
you need to do more good things than bad and then hope for the best when you
die.”
If these two worldviews –
postmodern secular humanism and Christian theism are compared – with the former
you are left empty and hopeless, man is worthless, and you are left to pursue
your own satisfaction and never find it. But with the latter you are precious,
you have purpose and you are powerless – but it’s okay because you were
purchased. In the humiliation and exaltation of Jesus Christ we find a
resolution to the question, “How can what is wrong be made right?” God is both
just and the justifier. The spotless, sinless Lamb of God was crushed, rejected
and killed to pay a debt he did not owe on behalf of sinners who could never
pay him back. We possess the answer and we are possessed by the Answer. The
Answer is Christ and his supremacy in truth.
Every chapter of The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern
World is profound both in offering an understanding of our culture and in
the need for Christians to communicate the supremacy of Christ in winsome ways.
The role of the church in this is also addressed. At the end of the book is a
conversation with the authors which is also insightful. This is a book that
must be read and studied and reread. Beware though, it will transform you own
thinking and understanding of Christ Jesus.
7 Women and the Secret of Their Greatness
By Eric Metaxas
The stories of seven amazing
women are featured in this best selling book. Each chapter describes a woman
who has changed the course of history.
These women lived difficult lives yet boldly and courageously changed
the world. The women are Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hanna More, Saint Maria
of Paris, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks, and Mother Teresa. Hanna More played a
role in the abolition of slavery in Great Britain; Saint Maria of Paris was a hero of the Greek Orthodox Church. I knew
nothing about these two before reading this book. Each woman lived an amazing
life of influence and integrity. The chapter on Rosa Parks gave me more
appreciation of her story. The chapter on Mother Teresa inspired and challenged
me. She lived a truly holy life ministering to all. Each chapter is well researched and
beautifully written with brilliant insight into these role models of greatness.
I highly recommend this book.
Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim
World?
By Tom Doyle with Greg
Webster
Dreams and Visions is an
amazing book about the good news that Muslims are coming to Christ all across
the Middle East. Jesus is appearing to Muslims in their dreams and
“as always, Jesus touches people one by one.” Doyle recounts story after story
of individual Muslims encountering Christ in their dreams. For example He tells
of a Muslim woman surfing the internet and secretly studying the bible on line
and then she has dreams of Jesus. The stories are of people he knows or who are
known by his family in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Israel, Gaza,
the West Bank, and Afghanistan.
Doyle also describes
gruesome Muslim culture of executioners calmly beheading friends, the cruel
suppression of women and “honor killings” by a brother or father. In Syria he notes that the secret police are everywhere. The
three branches of secret police not only watch the people at large but they
also spy on each other.
Doyle explains Muslim
thinking and beliefs and describes conversations that cut through their
objections. Of course the Bible plays an essential role in completing a
Muslim’s understanding of who Jesus is. Valuable information is included in the
book such as a list of the statements about Jesus in the Koran and what’s
missing in the Koran.
A chapter titled
Intermission – The Great Awakening for Muslims, gives information about the
process involved in Muslims coming to faith and the obstacles in their
thinking. For example, “Islam teaches that Jesus was a great prophet, but
that’s as far as it goes….Understanding Jesus as anything more than a prophet
is a quantum leap most Muslims won’t even consider.” After reading from the
Bible Muslims are more open to the possibility that Jesus is God.
Doyle says that Muslims have
felt shame and dishonor since the time of Mohammad, but they don’t feel shame
when Jesus appears to them. After a Jesus dream they say “I felt loved on a
level like I have never experienced,” or “I have never felt such a surge of joy
and peace.” New believers are on fire for spreading the good news. They risk
their lives sharing Jesus, teaching others what they have learned and even
leading a home church at night.
Here are two of his many
stories – abbreviated:
Habib, a Muslim living in Bethlehem, hated Jews and resented the Wall. He was puzzled
when an Israeli soldier named Danny treated him nicely when he traveled through
the checkpoint. Then Habib was shot and his parents took him to the checkpoint.
Danny secretly gave them his own ID telling them to go immediately to the
hospital – saving his life. Habib was surprised that Danny risked this and he
was also surprised Danny was applauded and given a medal for his sacrifice and
commitment to peace. He was also surprised by the humane treatment he received in
the hospital. He wondered why God saved him. While in the hospital he had
visitations from Jesus. He found a Bible and read the New Testament. He is now
a Christian and Danny is like a brother.
Josh Knight a missionary in Afghanistan had been jailed but released. Soon after that a
strange Muslim approached him. Halik told him he knew God had sent him and Josh
reluctantly agreed to go home with him. Once home he told Josh he and Jesus had
been in his dreams seven nights in a row. His visit for tea with Halik and his
wife and children turned into a three day event answering questions about
Jesus. In time Halik and his wife accepted Christ and Josh and his wife
mentored them. They are now strong believers and lead a house church.
A chapter on Muslims in America describes how to minister to and witness to Muslims.
The concluding chapter, Extreme Discipleship, invites followers of Jesus to
reach out in love to Muslims. If a Muslim moves in next door don’t call 911 –
instead get to know you neighbors!
This is an inspiring,
informative book that will touch and change believers so we will not fear
Muslims but will reach out with love to them. It has changed my perspective on
Muslims and enlarged my faith in our precious Lord.
Happy reading to all in 2016!
“I trust in you, O Lord, I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands.” Psalm 31:14-15
Blessings, Dottie
