Category: Christian Living

“Living in the Light: Money, Sex and Power” by John Piper

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Living in the Light: Money, Sex & Power by John PiperThe title of one of John Piper’s latest books is direct and confrontational, yet inviting at the same time: just like the man John Piper himself. Living in the Light: Money, Sex and Power (The Good Book Company, 2016) comes with a similarly direct yet inviting sub-title: “Making the most of three dangerous opportunities.” The book lives up to its title. It is both warning and invitation, in short it is John Piper challenging us to live to God’s glory in these three areas.

Piper explains that these three areas in themselves are not evil, they are God’s gifts to us. He defines them as follows:

  • Power is a capacity to pursue what you value.
  • Money is a cultural symbol that can be exchanged in pursuit of what you value.
  • Sex is one of the pleasures that people value, and the pursuit of it.

(Living in the Light, p. 20)

He then looks to Romans 1 and the “great exchange” whereby man in his fallen state turns created things to idols and refuses to worship God. In our fallen state, we pursue sex and other things as means to their own ends – as a worship of self or other created things in opposition to God. Money is a status symbol, and power is self-exaltation. They represent real danger and Piper spares no punches in warning and unpacking the biblical warnings related to the unfettered pursuit of money, sex or power.

In contrast to the worldly way of using these things, redemption puts God in the proper place. Piper uses the analogy of the sun and planets. When the sun is in the proper place, the planets of money, sex and power line up in their proper spheres and complement our lives in ways God intended. When we bring one of those planets into a central place, life is out of order and God is spurned.

Piper does a good job explaining why and how each of these elements are properly to be enjoyed:

Money exists so that it will be plain by the way we use it that God is more to be desired than money. Sex exists so that it will be plain that God is more to be desired than sex. And power exists so that it will be plain that admiring and dependeing on his power is more to be desired than exalting our own.

p. 102

In all of this, Piper displays his pastoral burden to rein in Western Christians who are so pulled away from the centrality of the Son, by the gravity of the competing planets: money, sex and power. Yet at times he is too God-focused and too strong in his formulations. As in the quote above, I think sex is more than just something to be partaken of in light of God being better than sex. Same with money. God “richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17) and Piper’s arguments sometimes seem to downplay the goodness of earthy pleasures. (For a great complement to Piper’s call desire God chiefly, look at Joe Rigney’s The Things of Earth: Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts, Crossway, 2014).

This quibble aside, this book is a clear and passionate call to live for Christ in today’s sex-crazed and money-obsessed culture. We could all do with a dose of John Piper challenging us to a more Godward focus in this day and age! I highly recommend this short book. It would make for a great small group or Sunday School resource, although it does not come with discussion questions.

Consider picking up the book at Amazon, Westminster Bookstore, Christianbook.com, or direct through The Good Book Company.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by The Good Book Company. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

“A Loving Life: In a World of Broken Relationships” by Paul Miller

~ Bob Hayton

A Loving Life by Paul MillerBook Details:
  • Author: Paul E. Miller
  • Category: Christian Living
  • Book Publisher: Crossway (2014)
  • Page Count: 172
  • Audio Publisher: christianaudio (2014)
  • Audio Length: 6 hours – unabridged
  • Read by: Arthur Morey
  • Format: audiobook
  • ISBN: 9781433537325
  • List Price: $12.99 / $14.98 (audio)
  • Rating: Must Read

Blurbs:
“I’m not exaggerating when I say that this is the most honest, timely, and helpful book I’ve ever read about the costly and exhausting demands of loving well. And at the same time, A Loving Life is the most faithful, alluring, and encouraging presentation of God’s love for us in Jesus I’ve fed on in years. These two themes go hand in hand. Through the biblical story of Ruth, Paul Miller gives us hope, not hype—the freedom to suffer well, stay present, and live expectantly in all of our relationships. Thank you, Paul, for making the gospel more beautiful and believable to me.”
—Scotty Smith, Teacher in Residence, West End Community Church, Nashville, TN

“The word love is often either a vague sentiment or just another four-letter word. But in Paul Miller’s hands, the quiet, compelling reality emerges. You will witness how love is thoughtful, principled, courageous, enduring, and wise—all the things you know deep down it should be. And even more than those fine things, you will be surprised and delighted at how true love is grounded in God.”
—David Powlison, Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation

“A Loving Life is a worthy successor to Paul Miller’s much-appreciated book on prayer. It is a careful, thorough analysis of the book of Ruth, understanding it as a love story and making good applications to our own experiences and needs for love. Paul here shows not only a deep understanding of God’s Word, but also a rich knowledge of human nature, both in the ancient world and today. He offers biblical responses to many of the misunderstandings and problems we have with love of all kinds. May the Lord give this book a broad readership!”
—John M. Frame, J. D. Trimble Chair of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary

Overview:
Like he did with A Praying Life, Paul Miller once again has given us a book that doesn’t fit the mold. This is not just any old book on Christian love. This book turns love inside out and gives hope and help to readers at all stages of their Christian life.  A Loving Life: In a World of Broken Relationships describes the perils and pitfalls, as well as the promise and pleasure of love.

Miller begins with a personal story from a man he has counseled. The man was a former elder at a conservative evangelical church who walked away from his wife and dove headlong into immorality. Stories like this, and the counseling insights Miller shares illuminate this book. Miller’s insights into love and the human heart, stem from Scripture and ring true. His application is always poignant and helpful. ANd the stories of real one-on-one ministry flesh out the theory of his approach with real tangible spiritual fruit in the here and now.

But Miller’s book is not about his own experiences. He anchors it all on a careful exegetical look at the book of Ruth. Ruth’s story, of course, may very well be the greatest love story ever told. And it has much to teach us about what it means to love unconditionally, and to live in Christian hope.  Miller’s account is shaped and ruled by the gospel, and he brings us back over and over again to the importance of gospel-centered living.

Quotable:
“Whatever the source of the broken relationship, the result remains the same—the loneliness of a fairy tale gone bad. What do you do when you are abandoned by your husband? How do you survive when no matter how much love you pour into your wife, she becomes more demanding? How do you endure in love? How do you endure without love when you long to get married? How do you keep your spirit from shutting down?

To these modern widows and widowers, I write this book—to en­courage you, to give you a hope and a future. We’ll pursue that by joining two ancient widows, Ruth and Naomi, on their journey. The book of Ruth is an ideal narrative for our post-Christian world, where breaking covenants—not enduring in love—is the new norm. Ruth offers a tem­plate for love that understands both the craziness of our modern world and a way forward. Ruth is all about surviving and even thriving in a collapsing world.” (p. 14)

See also this excerpt from Crossway.org.

Evaluation:
Having been incredibly blessed by Miller’s previous book, A Praying Life, the format of A Loving Life took me by some surprise. But as the book developed, I found myself enjoying the account of Ruth more and more, and seeing how it truly dovetailed with Miller’s thoughts on love and his counsel for dealing with broken relationships and living out our faith in this broken world. This book may be a slower and harder read than the earlier volume, but it repays any effort spent to mine its riches. Miller’s wisdom and insight into the struggles of human suffering shine through its pages. His personal experience of ministry (including to his own autistic daughter) give a depth to his thoughts. You feel like you are sitting down over a cup of coffee with an incredibly open and helpful friend as you read this book. And this friend repeatedly points you to a greater walk with Christ and a deeper understanding of yourself and the glory of the gospel.

I listened to the Christianaudio.com version of this title, and found it a blessing to tune into Ruth’s exciting story on my drive each day to work and back. The reader of the audiobook was easy to understand and hear, and his voice was warm and encouraging. I didn’t miss endnotes (if there were any) and it was easy to follow along even though the book was broken up into smaller pieces than it  may have been if reading the book in another format.

Recommendation:
If you haven’t read anything by Paul Miller before, I encourage you to give this title a try. His approach is similar in spirit to what you may get from Timothy Keller or some of the authors connected with the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF). This is biblical counseling at its gospel-centered best. I highly recommend it.

About the author:
Paul E. Miller is executive director of seeJesus as well as the best-selling author of A Praying Life, among other works. With the help of his ministry staff, Miller creates and conducts interactive discipleship seminars throughout the world. He and his wife, Jill, live in the Philadelphia area and have six children as well as a growing number of grandchildren.

Where to Buy:
  • christianAudio.com
  • Westminster Bookstore
  • Amazon
  • Christianbook.com
  • Crossway.org

Disclaimer:
This book was provided by christianaudio.com. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

“Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book about a (Really) Big Problem” by Kevin DeYoung

~ Bob Hayton

Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book about a (Really) Big Problem by Kevin DeYoungBook Details:
  • Author: Kevin DeYoung
  • Category: General Christian Interest
  • Book Publisher: Crossway (2013)
  • Page Count: 128
  • Audio Publisher: christianaudio (2013)
  • Audio Length: 3 hours
  • Read by: Adam Verner
  • Format: audiobook
  • ISBN: 9781433533389
  • List Price: $11.99
  • Rating: Highly Recommended

Blurbs:
“A great book for the stressed-out. DeYoung shows that Jesus was busy and Christians should be busy discipling nations, parenting children, and bearing burdens. He rightly differentiates that from ‘crazy busy,’ a frenzied trying to please some and control others—and he shows how biblical rhythms and trust in God’s providence can keep us sane. Also a great book for parents who live in a Kindergarchy, over-programming their children: DeYoung says let them play, because it’s not easy either to ruin them or to assure their success.”
—Marvin Olasky, Editor in Chief, World News Group

“Busy, hectic lives are the bane of the modern world. This book is not profound; rather it simply offers a lot of that most unfashionable commodity—common sense. DeYoung exposes the nature of busyness, the various ways in which it deludes us, and offers some basic advice on what to do about it. A fine, short book which deserves a wide readership.”
—Carl R. Trueman, Paul Woolley Professor of Church History, Westminster Theological Seminary

Overview:
DeYoung tackles the problem of busyness head on, not as an outside critic, but as one enmeshed in all of the mess that our modern world’s busyness brings. The book covers all angles of its topic from a Christian perspective. DeYoung opens up and shares a look at his own hectic life throughout the book. He shows the dangers of being “crazy busy” and tries to get to the heart of the issue. Why do we allow ourselves to get so busy? It could be pride or panic, a desire to protect our kids or an over-distraction by our electronic devices. Whatever it is, it detracts us from the one thing we must do — make time for Jesus. And while busyness can be bad, it is also something we should expect as followers of Christ. There are things we should be doing — but in proper perspective, priority and order.

Quotable:
“For too many of us, the hustle and bustle of electronic activity is a sad expression of a deeper acedia [or sloth]. We feel busy, but not with a hobby or recreation or play. We are busy with busyness. Rather than figure out what to do with our spare minutes and hours, we are content to swim in the shallows and pass our time with passing the time. How many of us, growing too accustomed to the acedia of our age, feel this strange mix of busyness and lifelessness? We are always engaged with our thumbs, but rarely engaged with our thoughts. We keep downloading information, but rarely get down into the depths of our hearts. That’s acedia—purposelessness disguised as constant commotion.” (p. 82)

See also this excerpt from Crossway.org.

Evaluation:
DeYoung’s analysis is helpful and hopeful. He doesn’t promise ten simple steps to cure busyness, but he has done his homework. There are loads of practical pointers and a lot of sane advice. But as a pastor, he takes us beneath the surface problem of busyness to where the real problems lie. As a soul-physician, he cuts with a sharp point — more often than not hitting too close for my comfort. His writing style is engaging and open, humorous and insightful, yet simple and direct. The audiobook I listened to was clear and non-distracting. The format servers for a great use of my commute time, and the nature of the book lent itself well to listening in bite-size chunks to and from work each day.

Recommendation:
This book is a necessary balm for the ills of modern culture. If you find yourself “crazy busy” you really owe it to yourself to carve some time out for this book. If you’re as busy as me, you’ll appreciate the audio version. The book will not wow you with inaccessible and profound wisdom, but it may slap you in the face with common sense realism and a dose of healthy spiritual advice. I highly recommend this book and think it will make a great addition to any New Year’s “to read” list.

Where to Buy:
  • christianAudio.com
  • Westminster Bookstore
  • Amazon
  • Christianbook.com
  • Crossway.org

Disclaimer:
This book was provided by christianaudio.com. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

Book Briefs: “To Live Is Christ, To Die Is Gain” by Matt Chandler

~ Bob Hayton

To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain by Matt ChandlerTo Live is Christ, To Die is Gain, was the first book I’ve read by Matt Chandler. Chandler is a young pastor in Dallas who faced a scary ordeal with a brain tumor, but whose testimony shone through even the darkest days of suffering. Chandler is connected with the Acts 29 church planting network and the Gospel Coalition. I jumped at the chance to read this book, thinking he would open up to some of his own struggles at death’s door. I didn’t find that, but I did find a lot of excellent teaching in a helpful, accessible style.

The book is a Bible study on the book of Philippians, and a masterful one at that. Chandler draws you in to the text, fleshes out helpful context by describing Paul’s mission to Philippi and at one point sketching the entire life story of the Apostle Paul. Chandler can paint a picture well, and he also has a pulse on where the average church attender is, spiritually. His book challenges and woos, it focuses on the Gospel and attacks any kind of legalism, yet he is inviting and encouraging too. He shares a lot of stories, many of his own life and family, but only once does he briefly touch on his struggle with cancer. But that aside, the book is an excellent treatment of perhaps the most loved epistle of Paul.

The Christian Audio version of the book plays nicely, although I missed hearing Chandler’s voice do the reading. Having heard him in person and listened to an mp3 online, his distinctive voice would make the title even more appealing. But the reading is done very well, and easy to listen to. I enjoyed To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain as I drove back and forth to work, and it made for an excellent devotional time as I prepared for my day. In any format, this would make for a great devotional read. The message of Philippians will challenge you to live a joyful, confident Christian life, that doesn’t shrink from declaring the gospel and living a sacrificial life for Christ’s glory, whether we live or die.

Pick up a copy of this book at any of the following online retailers: Amazon, ChristianBook.com, or direct from christianaudio.com.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by ChristianAudio.com. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

About Book Briefs: Book Briefs are book notes, or short-form book reviews. They are my informed evaluation of a book, but stop short of being a full-length book review.

Book Briefs: “God in My Everything: How an Ancient Rhythm Helps Busy People Enjoy God” by Ken Shigematsu

~ Bob Hayton ~ 4 Comments

God in My Everything by Ken ShigematsuWho in 2013 does not feel busy? At times I feel like I’m spinning even when sitting still! And I am not alone. The frantic pace of life threatens to choke the life out of Christian faith.

Ken Shigematsu, pastor of the Tenth Church in Vancouver, gives us a guidebook on how we can slow down and set up a “rule of life” that will direct our hearts to God in the midst of life’s craziness. Shigematsu draws from ancient monastic practices as well as the writings of a variety of Christian leaders from years gone by. He doesn’t set up an impossible hoop that today’s Christians must jump through, instead he advocates a wise approach that takes the best lessons from ancient devotional practices and adapts them in a realistic and hopeful manner for today’s church.

When you mention monastic practices, a wide variety of reactions are sure to arise. Some will see Martin Luther whipping himself to rid his soul of the devil, and others will see Simon Stylite sitting atop his pole for thirty years. There is a danger in going after monastic rituals, don’t get me wrong. Monastic devotion apart from a clear understanding of the grace of God in the gospel of Christ, can be soul-damning. I would have wanted more caution in this book about this fact. That being said, however, there is something to be learned by the devotion of the monks and the practices they set up to direct a community of faith to God.

God in My Everything, is more than just a monastic manual. It is really anything but that. Shigematsu envisions the Christian life as a growing plant that needs support by a trellis consisting of life practices that we establish. The roots are prayer, sacred reading, and an experience of Sabbath — rest and communion with God. The activities of life then support our trellis: friendship; covenant sexuality or it’s twin, celibacy; and family. Our bodies are made to relate, and also they need to be restored through attention to the physical body’s needs, time enjoying life and nature (play), and a careful use of our resources (money). Ultimately, we reach out through a Christian approach to work, justice and living out a witness to the watching world.

I appreciated the book’s emphasis that all of life is to be lived for God’s glory, and that the joys of life are not divorced from Christian devotion. There was an emphasis on social justice and good deeds, but not at the expense of Christian witness and gospel declaration. Shigematsu strikes a good balance in this book, and people from a variety of Christian denominations can appreciate his contribution. We go wrong when we lose that balance and stress one area of life to the expense of others. The beauty of this approach is that it can be adjusted to a variety of life situations and is a healthy encouaragement to take stock of your current lifestyle and how you can better arrange your life to pursuit a joyful relationship with our Heavenly Father. To that end, Shigematsu includes several examples of individual “rules of life” written by a variety of people as plans for how they will live out a God-centered life in their own everything.

This book will challenge you to examine your devotional life and not just that aspect of your life either. It will call you to experience God in all areas of your life. For that reason I encourage you to read the book in a spirit of openness and prayer, not looking for the few things you can nitpick. I don’t agree with all of Shigematsu’s advice, but in the whole he is spot on. May more of us determine to live out all of our lives to God’s glory and honor.

Pick up a copy of this book at any of the following online retailers: Amazon, ChristianBook.com, or direct from Zondervan.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

About Book Briefs: Book Briefs are book notes, or short-form book reviews. They are my informed evaluation of a book, but stop short of being a full-length book review.