The Apostle Paul addresses the subject of suffering headlong in his letters to the Christians in ancient Thessalonica. He praises them for their perseverance in the faith even though they experienced “much tribulation” (1 Thessalonians 1:6). He expands this theme in his second letter by addressing the place that suffering has in the life of every believer. God can and sometimes chooses to work through pain, heartache, and even spiritual oppression.
Paul’s words to another New Testament church paint an even clearer picture: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood… but against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, NASB). This struggle has become known as spiritual warfare – a topic with wide interest and almost endless speculation.
In his excellent book on the doctrine of angels, Satan, and demons, Graham Cole offers this definition of spiritual warfare: “Our common struggle as Christians against the machinations of malevolent spiritual creatures that are intent on thwarting God’s redemptive plan for his human creatures” (page 165). This thoughtful approach identifies the enemy in spiritual warfare as well as his overall objective. Satan wants to ruin God’s plans by ruining believers, the objects of God’s love.
The book of Ephesians urges the faithful to “put on the full armor of God” so they can survive (and even thrive) under these kinds of attacks (Ephesians 6:11). The breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation are all tied to the character of Christ, which are all put on through faith. When we step back and look at the rest of the New Testament, we discover some additional ways to fight back.
- Be alert. Satan and his allies are elusive and relentless. They can only be stopped through constant vigilance. (1 Peter 5:8)
- Pray. God makes his provision, guidance, and protection available through prayer. The start of any spiritual conflict should be a reminder to call out in prayer. (Philippians 4:6-7)
- Persevere. Spiritual attacks carry the inherent temptation to give up and give in. But this is the opposite of God’s will for the life of the believer. (2 Thessalonians 1:4)
Suffering is an unpleasant, but fruitful reality for every Christian. God can and does use the struggles he allows into our live to do his work in us and accomplish his plans for now and for eternity.
Albert Mohler argues that preaching God’s Word is a central, irreducible, and non-negotiable part of authentic worship. The kind of preaching he has in mind is expository preaching. He defines expository preaching as “reading the text and explaining it – reproving, rebuking, exhorting, and patiently teaching directly from the text of Scripture” (p. 52). This book has been foundational in my approach to preaching. It would help anyone who wants to make the most of their ministry.
Haddon Robbin makes a case for expository preaching and then explains in step-by-step detail how to produce an expository sermon. The thing that I like best about the approach described here is the flexibility. Messages that are based on the text of Scripture need to conform to the contours of each passage preached. This book is great for the preacher who wants to sharpen his skills or the church member who wants to get the most of the messages he or she hears.
Preaching is a privilege, but it’s also a great responsibility. Preaching expository sermons week after week can benefit from careful planning. In this book, Stephen Rummage explains how a preacher can plan his preaching up to a year in advance. I don’t usually plan that far ahead, but I have used his approach to plan out my preaching calendar for almost a decade. It works! Preachers who want to make the most of their time and resources would do well to use the techniques described in this book.
Cranberry Thanksgiving is a classic children’s tale about sharing with others and mistaken impressions. In the Devlin’s tale, Grandmother and her granddaughter Maggie invite someone poor and lonely over for Thanksgiving dinner. When one of their guests steals the receipt to Grandmother’s famous cranberry bread their meal takes a surprising turn. Share this book with your children or grandchildren as you prepare for your own Thanksgiving feast.
Seminary offers intense instruction and specialized training for those called into various leadership roles in the kingdom of God. Seminary exposes students to wide variety of Biblical, theological, and practical themes. It also inevitably involves a lot of reading. Here are three books a student should read before he or she goes to seminary.
This suggestion is not a put down. Before I went to seminary, I didn’t realize how bad I was at reading, analyzing, and interacting with written text. Alder’s and Van Doren’s book on how to read gave me the tools I needed to become a better reader, which a must in seminary. This book is especially for those who already think they are a good reader and those who would like help improving their skills in this area.
The titles of these two books alone should be enough to explain why they are this list. Too many seminary students have emerged from there first semester of study thinking they have solved a debate that has been raging in the Church for generations. These books should be read together by the student who wants to get better, humbler handle on these popular approaches to salvation.
Churches can be as creative as they want to be with their vision, strategy, and values, but not when it comes to the mission of the church. In the Great Commission, Jesus tasked the church with making disciples in His name (Mathew 28:18-20). The mission of the church is and always has been to make disciples. Here are three books I would suggest about how that can be done in today.
This book has evangelism in the title, but it’s really about discipleship. In it, Robert Coleman traces the eight guiding principles Jesus used to train His disciples and to send them out in His absence. Coleman cautions church leaders against prepackaged discipleship programs. Instead, he encourages a more relational approach. This book would be good for anyone who is thinking though the overall process of discipleship and leadership development.
