Christian Book Notes

Ventura, Rob and Jeremy Walker.  A Portrait of Paul: Identifying a True Minister of Christ. Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2010.  256 pp.  $18.00.  Purchase at Westminster Books for $13.86.

Note: I am republishing this review because the book is due to be published/released on October 10, 2010.  You really need to purchase a copy for your pastor, or if you are a  minister, purchase a copy for yourself!

Introduction

A Portrait of Paul is the culmination of a preaching series by the author’s in their attempt to better understand their roles as pastors.  Rob Ventura serves as pastor of Grace Community Baptist Church in Cumberland, Rhode Island.  Jeremy Walker, who blogs at The Wanderer, is pastor of Maidenbower Baptist Church in Crawley, England.

Summary

A Portrait of Paul is divided into ten chapters all focused in on Paul as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Each chapter plumbs further what amounts to be a radical (and Puritanical–think Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter), albeit Biblical, view of the pastoral ministry.

Chapters one through three look at the joys, focus and hardships of Paul’s ministry.  These joys are not frivolous nor are they “fun.”  No, these three chapters actually look at the the sufferings (joys) for the churches (focus) through his many afflictions (hardships).  Not a job description we see much of today!

Chapter four takes a look at the origin of Paul’s ministry which is obviously from God while the essence of Paul’s ministry (chapter five) is plainly the gospel and making it know to all people. The subject and goal therefore remains message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ so that those who are regenerated may be presented perfect to Jesus Christ. How many pastors seek to actually do this as they prepare their sermons?

The final three chapters are quickly summed up as follows: Paul’s strength came from Christ (chapter 8 ) so that he could suffer many conflicts (chapter 9) on behalf of the saints so that he could warn them not to be led astray by another gospel (chapter 10).

Review

As a book reviewer, I do not have much to really critique since the book is an exposition of Colossians 1:24-2:5. Ventura and Walker strike at the heart of what is wrong with so much in the pastoral ministry today quite simply because so many of the pastors in the ministry are not following God’s word for pastors. A Portrait of Paul, while about the apostle Paul is extremely Christo-centric in its approach and application. In other words, when Christ says, “I am the vine and you are the branches, apart from me you can do nothing” (emphasis added), He means it–especially for pastors.

As a pastor, I needed this book. There were sections I read which brought me to tears as I realized just how frail and unbiblical a pastor I am. While it may surprise some to hear that a pastor is not perfect (some pastor’s actually suffer from a “God-complex!”), I can readily admit that I have much room for improvement. Especially when compared to the “job description” laid out for us by Paul in Colossians 1:24-2:5.

Recommendation

If you are a pastor, please pick up this book. If you are thinking about going into the ministry, this book is an must read–you may quickly learn that the pastoral calling is not for you! If you have a pastor, pick up a copy today and give it to them. We are indebted to Rob Ventura and Jeremy Walker for writing this book. While many may not read Baxter’s Reformed Pastor because it was written so long ago by a (gasp!) Puritan that it can’t possibly speak to us today, they would readily pick up this book given its “modern” take on the ministry. In so doing, they will be the greater for it and the congregation in which they are the undershepherd will reap the benefits.

Carr, Simonetta. Augustine of Hippo. Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2009. 64pp. $18.00. Purchase at Westminster Books for $12.60.

Introduction

This is the second book in the Christian Biographies for Young Readers series by Simonetta Carr. The first book was on John Calvin (read review here). I know the third book in the series and will say I am uber-excited about the third book! For now, I turn my attention to Simonetta’s treatment of Augustine.

Summary

Simonetta takes a simple approach for the children to easily see the life of Augustine. She offers chapters on his childhood and young adulthood and his search for wisdom and becoming an extremely articulate young man in Italy. She shares how Augustine’s mom prayed for his salvation daily and how he ultimately did become a Christian and followed God into the ministry even if it was against his will! She concludes the biography with chapters on the difficult times that Augustine faced and what he did in the last days of his life.

The book is full of colorful illustrations and even includes a time-line and a “Did You Know?” section for kids who want to know more about the man many call a saint.

Review

I am really enjoying these children’s biographies. They make for great read aloud’s and offer excellent introductions to some great divines that many believe to be beyond the grasp and understanding of children. The colorful illustrations help the kids to “see” the events in Augustine’s life.

The chapters are short enough to read aloud and keep the children seated but just long enough to offer enough detail to pique the curiosity of your kids.

Recommendation

If you are looking for great books or biographies for your 7-12 year old to read, I highly recommend beginning with these. For younger children, I have discovered that these biographies make great read-aloud’s. Even more, I am confident that many adults reading these books will want to know more about the men being discussed.

Anyabwile, Thabiti M. May We Meet in the Heavenly World: The Piety of Lemuel Haynes. Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2009. 132 pp. $10.00. Purchase at Westminster Books for $7.00.

Introduction

I have written before on the must read series Profiles in Reformed Spirituality. This particular volume is edited by Thabiti Anyabwile, Pastor First Baptist Church, Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands (he hates the beach!). Thabiti has written quite a bit recently regarding African-Americans in the pastorate. In his writings, he has focused primarily on Lemuel Haynes, a New England preacher who lived from 1753-1833.

Summary/Review

In this short book, Thabiti introduces this “unsung hero of the Christian Faith.” Lemuel preached in the generation following the First Great Awakening (1740-1742). He was indentured to a family at the age of five months and lived with them until he was 21 years old. He began his ministry at the age of 27 and preached until his death in 1863.

He was most known for God’s presence, providence,and power being foremost in his life and preaching. He was also known to have a sense of humor that would bring laughter to just about anyone. We finally see how his sense of God’s presence led him to lead his family in worship each night.

In the snippets of sermons selected by Anyabwile we learn about a pastor who took his charge seriously. Moreover, we learn of a man who thought much of death, not only in his own life, but in the lives of everyone he would talk with or preach to. Often times, he would challenge his listeners that many of them would not be here the next time they meet. You gather a deep sense of the weight Lemuel felt in preaching and sharing the gospel with anyone who would listen.

I have never read anything about Lemuel Haynes (I have the books by Thabiti, but have not been able to read them, yet!). This short introductory biography is a wonderful introduction to a black pastor who was deeply influenced by the “giants” as are many today. It is interesting to read his take on ministers in government or his thought on God’s judgment on congregations regarding the death of pastors.

Recommendation

If you have never heard of Lemuel Haynes, you need to pick up a copy of May We Meet in the Heavenly Places. It is a quick read but one that will have an impact on your ministry and/or walk with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are indebted to Thabiti’s research on Lemuel and making him once again accessible to the many (especially black preachers) wanting an example of pious living and preaching from America’s early history.

With a renewal of Reformed Theology spreading throughout Christendom in the last couple decades, it is truly to our benefit that we look to the past in order to understand how to move forward. This is aptly stated in the Introduction to each book in the Profiles in Reformed Spirituality published by Reformation Heritage Books:

We need to go back to the spiritual heritage of Reformed Evangelicalism to find the pathway forward. We cannot live in the past; to attempt to do so would be antiquarianism. But our Reformed forebearers in the faith can teach us much about Christianity, its doctrines, its passions, and its fruit.

Since the first book in the series was published back in 2006, there have been five stand alone volumes in the series—Jonathan Edwards, Alexander Whyte, Hercules Collins, Horatius Bonar, and George Swinnock. A sixth volume is due out early this year (2009) on John Calvin. The series is jointly edited by Joel R. Beeke and Michael A. G. Haykin. Each book retails for $10 but is available through the above links at Reformation Heritage Books for at least 25% off.

Each book is introduced by a short biography of the subject’s life and his writings with an explanation of how they continue to impact Christianity today. In many cases, we are allowed to peer into the heart of the man and see what “made him tick.” Moreover, we are blessed to read of their love for what Christ did on the cross for their sins and how that impacted their overall life and ministry to others.

For some, these profiles are excellent introductions into otherwise forgotten ministries of notable Christians. For example, not many people have ever heard of Hercules Collins and are only familiar with Alexander Whyte if they have studied much about John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. With chapters not much longer than 4-5 pages, and selections carefully chosen by each editor (the editor(s) differ from book to book), one quickly can ascertain a well-rounded familiarity with these great men from their own writings.

Furthermore, because of the shortness of each chapter, they can be used as devotional material. Personally, I have discovered this to be most beneficial. I usually carry one of the books in my bag and when I am waiting somewhere I will pull it out and read. I usually have plenty of time to start and finish at least one chapter. It also helps that the size of each book (7”x5”) makes it easier to carry these books with you wherever you go.