"The Treasure Principle" by Randy Alcorn

Show me how you spend your money and what you treasure most and I will show you your real god. That's the truth of the gospel and that is the truth articulated in the wonderful book The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving by Randy Alcorn. The book isn't about money, but about treasure. Its about joy.

There's no doubt that Jesus talked a lot about money. As Alcorn points out, Jesus talks more about money than He does about heaven and hell combined. There is good reason for this. Alcorn writes:

Why did Jesus put such an emphasis on money and possessions?

Because there's a fundamental connection between our spiritual lives an dhow we think about and handle money.  We may try to divorce our faith and our finances, but God sees them as inseparable. (9)

He's right.  Show me how you spend your money and what you spend it on and I will show you where your treasure is. Or as Jesus put it, where your money is, there your heart will be also. Alcorn shows that sacrifice presents us with the gift of joy. This goes against natural wisdom. Normally, we think wealth and possessions make us happy (who doesn't want to be rich right?), but Alcorn shows biblically and scientifically that that is not the case.  For example, Alcorn shows a study that compares lottery winners with the paralyzed. Though at first the lottery winner is joyous over their fortunes and the paralytic is distraught by their paralysis, years later their roles begin to change.  The lottery winner finds themselves not as happy as they had intended.  The paralytic, on the other hand, slowly begins to enjoy life again.

This does not mean that we ought to seek out poverty or paralysis. What it does mean is that real joy is not in what we own but in the gospel. The treasure principle is in the gospel - Jesus Christ Himself.

I highly recommend this little book.  One can easily read it in one sitting.  It is simple to read and can be enjoyed by believers of all walks of life. It is a message we need to hear. In a culture as rich as ours chasing our tails of greed, we need to hear Alcorn on this.


I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.   


Other WaterBrook Multnomah Titles:
Reviews - "Why Church Matters?" by Joshua Harris
Reviews - "Culture Shift" by R. Albert Mohler
Reviews - "Radical Together"

Reviews - "Desiring God" by John Piper 
Reviews - The Next Christians" 
Reviews - "Start Here" by Alex & Brett Harris 
Reviews - "Angels" by David Jeremiah 
Reviews - "Dug Down Deep" by Joshua Harris 
Reviews - "Treasured" by Leigh McLeroy
Reviews - "God Gave Us Christmas" by Lisa Bergren 
Reviews-  "God Gave Us Love" by Lisa Bergren 
Reviews - "Every Sing Man's Battle" by Stephen Arterburn & Fred Stoeker

For more:
Reviews - "Whose Money is it Anyway?"
Blogizomai - The Transcedence of Greed: What Economics Can Teach Us About the Gospel
Blogizomai - Alcohol Today, Marijuana Tomorrow: When Money Changes Our Values

"Evangelical Ethics"

Recently I have been teaching on the Christian worldview and how we are to respond to various moral and ethical questions in the cultural context.  Issues like war and peace, capital punishment, business and work, immigration, racism, sexism, abortion, infanticide, eugenics, euthanasia, sex, sexuality, homosexuality, transgenderism, marriage, divorce, cohabitation, etc. One of the books I have returned to time and time again is John Jefferson Davis' book Evangelical Ethics: Issues Facing the Church Today.

What I like about Davis' book is how he puts everything into a cultural and historical context.  On contraception, for example, he takes the time to trace how humans have used contraception for millenia.  At times barbaric methods were used in order to prevent the birth of children. I guess some things do not change. I have access and own several books that go into depth over many of these issues - especially regarding life, sexuality, and politics - but few frame these issues in context and deal with them from a biblical perspective.

For the most part, I agree with most of Davis' conclusions.  I have learned over the years that there is no perfect evangelical ethics book as no two evangelicals agree on everything.  But when it comes to things clearly revealed in the gospel, Davis is dead on. He affirms life, stands against homosexuality, and offers a helpful guide into using contraception.

Overall, this is a helpful book for those wanting to know more about these difficult issues. He frames them in a way that allows us to see the big picture first beyond the headlines and political maneuvering.  I would recommend this book to anyone serious about the Christian worldview and how to think about these difficult issues.


For more:
Reviews - "Human Dignity in a Biotech Century" by Charles Colson 

"The Jesus We Missed" by Patrick Henry Reardon

Jesus was human.  Jesus was a man. Like you and me. Flesh and blood.  He got sick.  He got tired.  He got sick and tired. Though most Christians would say that they affirm the full humanity of Jesus, many conservative Christians are hesitant to embrace it with all of its implications.  In a rare and helpful look at the subject, theologian Patrick Henry Reardon tackles this subject in his helpful book The Jesus We Missed: The Surprising Truth About the Humanity of Christ.

I must admit that this is not the book I was expecting.  By the impression I got from the title, especially the subtitle, and the forward by Dr. Russell Moore, I assumed that this was going to be a systematic theology treatment of the the humanity of Jesus.  It was not that.  Instead, Reardon offers more of a biblical theology approach to the issue. The author traces the story of Jesus from birth to resurrection tracing for us, in great detail, how the biblical writers present to us the humanity of Jesus all the while affirm his full deity.


This book is helpful for many reasons.  For one, the author offers some great insights and analysis of the biblical text and the Gospels. The author guides the reader through the biblical text through great detail surveying the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of the human Savior. For those wanting to know more about the ministry of Jesus as revealed through the Gospel writers, this is a good place to begin.


Secondly, this is a book that introduces us to how the biblical texts raises the issue of Jesus' humanity.  It is fascinating to see how the Gospel writers almost assume Jesus' humanity.  When He eats, when He's tempted, when He obeys the Father, when He suffers, when He speaks, when He bleeds, etc. He does so as a human and the Gospel writers do not feel the need to explain that.  Of course He was human, they might say, He was born wasn't He?


My biggest complaint regarding the book is that it would have been helpful to either have a systematic theology section or to conclude each chapter with how we specifically see the humanity of Jesus in the chapter just read. This was a real weakness.  One does not need to strain hard to find the humanity (and even the deity) of Jesus throughout the book, but clarity for the reader would have been helpful.  What do we learn about the humanity of Jesus from His birth, baptism, temptation, resurrection, etc.? The epilogue and the appendix are helpful in this regard (as is the introduction and the forward) but the author could have helped the reader, I believe, if he had taken the time to guide the reader into the significance of the conversation.


Overall, this is an excellent book written by a proven scholar. For those wanting some real insights into the ministry and humanity of Jesus, I can think of nowhere else to go.




I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”








For more on Jesus:
Reviews - For Us and Our Salvation"
Reviews - "Jesus Made in America: A Cultural History From the Puritans to the Passion of Christ" - by Stephen Nichols
Reviews - "The Jesus You Cannot Ignore" 
Reviews - Jesus the Messiah"
Reviews - Reviews in Brief- The Sermon on the Mount
Reviews - "The Jesus Manifesto"
Reviews - "Scandalous"
Reviews - "Born of a Woman"


For more from Thomas Nelson:
Reviews - "Real Marriage" by Mark & Grace Driscoll
Reviews - "Why Men Hate Going to Church" by David Murrow  
Blogizomai - Repost | "Nearing Home" by Billy Graham
Reviews - America: The Last Best Hope - Volume 3
Reviews - "Has God Spoken?" by Hank Hanegraaf
Reviews - "Why God Won't Go Away" by Alister McGrath  
Reviews - "Billy Graham in Quotes" 
Reviews - "No He Can't" by Kevin McCullough
Reviews - "Washington: A Legacy of Leadership" by Paul Vickery  
Reviews - "Max on Life" by Max Lucado 
Reviews - "Slave" by John Macarthur
Reviews - "The Jesus Inquest" by Charles Foster 
Reviews - "Finding Our Way Again" by Brian McLaren 
Reviews - "Outlive Your Life" by Max Lucado
Reviews - "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns 
Reviews - "Saint Patrick" by Jonathan Rogers
Reviews - "A Century Turns" by William Bennett
Reviews - "Sir Winston Churchill"
Reviews - "On this Day in Christian History"
Reviews - "Storm Warning" by Billy Graham

Reading List for 2012

Books I hope to read in 2012 in no particular order.
  

Godforsaken: Bad Things Happen. Is there a God who cares? Yes. Here's Proof by Dinesh D'Souza - For a lot of people, the biggest question about God is not, surprisingly enough, whether he exists. Instead, it is about whether God is truly good. Dinesh D'Souza, in his debates with leading atheists, quickly realized that many of those debates revolved around the question of evil in this world—how God could create a world that allowed such suffering and evil. In Godforsaken, Dinesh D'Souza takes these questions head on: Does God act like a tyrant? Is God really responsible for the evil in this world? Why is there suffering in the world? For the first time ever, Dinesh D'Souza approaches this topic with historical and scientific proof and presents to the reader why God is truly worthy of our worship and love.

The Cross of Christ by John Stott - The work of a lifetime, from one of the world's most influential thinkers, about the heart of the Christian faith. "I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross. . . . In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?" With compelling honesty John Stott confronts this generation with the centrality of the cross in God's redemption of the world -- a world now haunted by the memories of Auschwitz, the pain of oppression and the specter of nuclear war. Can we see triumph in tragedy, victory in shame? Why should an object of Roman distaste and Jewish disgust be the emblem of our worship and the axiom of our faith? And what does it mean for us today? Now from one of the foremost preachers and Christian leaders of our day comes theology at its readable best, a contemporary restatement of the meaning of the cross. At the cross Stott finds the majesty and love of God disclosed, the sin and bondage of the world exposed. More than a study of the atonement, this book brings Scripture into living dialogue with Christian theology and the twentieth century. What emerges is a pattern for Christian life and worship, hope and mission. Destined to be a classic study of the center of our faith, Stott's work is the product of a uniquely gifted pastor, scholar and Christian statesman. His penetrating insight, charitable scholarship and pastoral warmth are guaranteed to feed both heart and mind.

Shepherding the Small Church: A Leadership Guide for the Majority of Today's Churches (Gold Medallion-Finalist) by Glenn C. Daman - This second edition is an indispensable source of advice and encouragement for the small church pastor, including how to formulate a mission while understanding the cultures of the community and the church. Chapter-by-chapter suggestions and several appendixes of helpful assessment tools help pastors and lay leadership work through the book together.

Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters by Timothy Keller - The New York Times bestselling author of The Reason for God and The Prodigal God and a nationally renowned minister, Timothy Keller exposes the error of making good things "ultimate" in his latest book, and shows readers a new path toward a hope that lasts.

Success, true love, and the life you've always wanted. Many of us placed our faith in these things, believing they held the key to happiness, but with a sneaking suspicion they might not deliver. The recent economic meltdown has cast a harsh new light on these pursuits. In a matter of months, fortunes, marriages, careers, and a secure retirement have disappeared for millions of people. No wonder so many of us feel lost, alone, disenchanted, and resentful.

But the truth is that we made lesser gods of these good things -gods that can't give us what we really need. There is only one God who can wholly satisfy our cravings- and now is the perfect time to meet him again, or for the first time.

The Bible tells us that the human heart is an "idol- factory," taking good things and making them into idols that drive us. In Counterfeit Gods, Keller applies his trademark approach to show us how a proper understanding of the Bible reveals the unvarnished truth about societal ideals and our own hearts. This powerful message will cement Keller's reputation as a critical thinker and pastor, and comes at a crucial time-for both the faithful and the skeptical.

Counterfeit Gospels: Rediscovering the Good News in a World of False Hope by Trevin Wax - What if the biggest danger to the church of Jesus Christ is not blatant heresy, the moral failures of church leaders, persecution, the rise of Islam or the loss of our rights' What if the biggest threat is counterfeit gospels within the church, ways of thinking and speaking about the good news that lead to a gradual drift from the truth of Scripture'The gospel is like a three-legged stool. There's the Gospel Story ¿ the grand narrative of Scripture (Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration). Within that overarching framework, we make the Gospel Announcement about Jesus Christ (His perfect life, substitutionary death, resurrection, exaltation). The gospel announcement then births the Gospel Community: God's church ¿ the embodiment of the gospel, the manifestation of God's kingdom. A counterfeit gospel is like a colony of termites, eating away at one of the legs of this stool until the whole thing topples over. This book exposes six common counterfeits (Therapeutic, Judgmentless, Moralist, Quietist, Activist, and Churchless) that would get us off track.The goal of Counterfeit Gospels is to so deepen our love for the unchanging gospel of Jesus Christ that we would easily see through the many counterfeits that leave us impoverished. So come, love the gospel, recognize and overcome the counterfeits, and be empowered for ministry!

John MacArthur: Servant of the Word and Flock by Ian Murray - Through more than forty years, John MacArthur has opened and taught the Word of God in one local congregation, Grace Community Church, Los Angeles. Consequences have followed which no one anticipated, and which the preacher attributes to the sovereign hand of God. A people united to Christ, and to their pastor, became a channel for blessing across the earth. It has been a ministry marked by characteristics that re-appear in every spiritual advance - not concern for relevance not special attractions for young or old, male or female; but love for God and dependence on his Word and promises. MacArthur has proved, without ever intending to do so, that true preaching of the Word of God is international, because if you teach the Bible it transcends every border, every language, every culture. It is as relevant today, and will be tomorrow, as in all the years since God put it down. That is why his sermons are heard or read in more than two hundred countries around the world today.

But this is also a human story, including the shaping of his youth, the strength of marriage and family, the refining influence of trials and controversies, and the building of a man whose staff have never known to be angry. There are friends who, for all their love of his ministry, say his life is his best sermon.
 

Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine by Gregg Allison - Most historical theology texts follow Christian beliefs chronologically, discussing notable doctrinal developments for all areas of theology according to their historical appearance. And while this may be good history, it can make for confusing theology, with the classic theological loci scattered throughout various time periods, movements, and controversies. In Historical Theology, Gregg Allison offers students the opportunity to study the historical development of theology according to a topical-chronological arrangement, setting out the history of Christian doctrine one theological element at a time. Such an approach allows readers to concentrate on one tenet of Christianity and its formulation in the early church, through the Middle Ages, Reformation, and post-Reformation era, and into the modern period. The text includes a generous mix of primary source material as well, citing the words of Cyprian, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Barth, and others. Allison references the most accessible editions of these notable theologians' work so that readers can continue their study of historical theology through Christian history's most important contributors. Historical Theology is a superb resource for those familiar with Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology or interested in understanding the development of Christian theology.

Naked Spirituality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words by Brian D. McLaren - Christianity is in crisis. Many sincere Christians feel their traditional Christian practices are in danger of becoming irrelevant, empty rituals. In his previous book A New Kind of Christianity, Brian D. McLaren offered new biblical models for how we understand the central ideas of a faith that provides hope for restoring and reinvigorating the power of the gospels to transform us and our communities. 

In Naked Spirituality, McLaren takes his prophetic work a step further by confronting how the lack of a simple, doable, durable spirituality undermines the very transformation God is calling us to undergo. As a result, our religious structures become tools to maintain the status quo and not catalysts for personal and social change. McLaren presents a four-stage framework for understanding the spiritual life, and he unfolds spiritual practices appropriate to each stage. Each practice is rooted in a simple word: here, thanks, O, sorry, help, please, when, no, why, behold, yes, and silence. Naked Spirituality offers accessible, practical wisdom for living a truly spiritual life. Staying true to Jesus's core message while engaging faithfully with our postmodern world, McLaren presents a proven spiritual program for engaging in and sustaining a meaningful relationship with God.

Premarital Sex in America: How Young Americans Meet, Mate, and Think about Marrying by Mark Regnerus and Jeremy Uecker - The period of young adulthood, from ages 18 to 23, is popularly considered the most sexualized in life. But is it true? What do we really know about the sexual lives of young people today?

Premarital Sex in America combines illuminating personal stories and comprehensive research surveys to provide the fullest portrait of heterosexuality among young adults ever produced. Mark Regnerus and Jeremy Uecker draw upon a wealth of survey data as well as scores of in-depth interviews with young adults from around the country, both in and out of college. Digging underneath stereotypes and unexamined assumptions, the authors offer compelling--and often surprising--answers to such questions as: How do the emotional aspects of sexual relations differ between young men and women? What role do political orientations play in their sexual relations? How have online dating and social networking sites affected the relationships of emerging adults? Why are young people today waiting so much longer to marry? How prevalent are nontraditional forms of sex, and what do people think of them? To better understand what drives the sexual behaviors of emerging adults, Regnerus and Uecker pay special attention to two important concepts: sexual scripts, the unwritten and often unconscious rules that guide sexual behavior and attitudes; and sexual economics, a theory which suggests that the relative scarcity of men on college campuses contributes to the "hookup" culture by allowing men to diminish their level of commitment and thereby lower the "price" they have to "pay" for sex.

For anyone wishing to understand how sexual relations between young adults have changed and are changing, Premarital Sex in America will serve as a touchstone for years to come.

Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto by Mark R. Levin - When nationally syndicated radio host Mark R. Levin’s Liberty and Tyranny appeared in the early months of the Obama presidency, Americans responded by making his clarion call for a new era in conservatism a #1 New York Times bestseller for an astounding twelve weeks. As provocative, well-reasoned, robust, and informed as his on-air commentary, with his love of our country and the legacy of our Founding Fathers reflected on every page, Levin’s galvanizing narrative provides a philosophical, historical, and practical framework for revitalizing the conservative vision and ensuring the preservation of American society.

In the face of the modern liberal assault on Constitution-based values, an attack that has resulted in a federal government that is a massive, unaccountable conglomerate, the time for reinforcing the intellectual and practical case for conservatism is now. In a series of powerful essays, Levin lays out how conservatives can counter the tyrannical liberal corrosion that has filtered into every timely issue affecting our daily lives, from the economy to health care, global warming to immigration, and more.

The ACLU vs. America: Exposing the Agenda to Redefine Moral Values by Craig Osten and Alan Sears - As a result of the work of the American Civil Liberties Union and their war on America, we now live in a country where the church has been progressively silenced, parental authority has been undermined, children are less safe, and human life continues to be cheapened-both at birth and death. While the ACLU and its allies in the media have positioned themselves as the great defenders of freedom, they are in reality eliminating the freedoms of millions of Americans. Sadly, most Americans are unaware of the extreme positions of the ACLU. But there is hope. Many Americans are waking up to the dangerous agenda of the ACLU. The ACLUvs. America will clue readers in to the culture wars afoot and will equip them to become effective agents for liberty and freedom against the ACLU's onslaught.





For more:
Reviews - Reading List for Summer 2011