Reading List! (November 30, 2014)

Somehow I managed to get through a LOT of books this month! I was pretty into some of the reading though so that helped.

Finished this month:

A Hunger for God by John Piper

This was my second time reading through this one, and I picked up again kind of on a whim. Very encouraging and good reminders! It’s about fasting, which I agree is one of the most overlooked principles of the Christian life. It’s not just about self-denial it’s about pursuing Christ more than anything else!

“Faith is a spiritual feasting on Christ with a view to being so satisfied in Him that the power of all other allurements is broken.” (p. 42)

Continuity and Discontinuity: Perspectives on the Relationship Between the Old and New Testaments (various writers)

This book compares two views of the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. Covenant Theology takes the “more continuity” view and Dispensationalism takes the “discontinuity” view. To be honest, this book was a bit frustrating for me because I don’t agree with either one! ¹  Coming into the book with that presupposition I read this book very critically and carefully. I do seek to be open to differing views provided they can prove their point Scripturally.

Abraham’s Four Seeds by John G. Reisinger

If you’re interested in studying theology and particularly the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, the relationship between Israel and the Church you HAVE to read this book! John Reisinger is writing from a “New Covenant” middle position and contrasts “Dispensational Theology” (DT) and “Covenant Theology” (CT). These two systems have different yet similar views of the Old Testament and its relationship to the New Testament. Some may say this is a non-essential issue, yet it greatly affects your understanding of God’s purposes through history, the Church and the Christian’s relationship to God. There are a lot, and some pretty important implications that result depending on which system you believe.

When Scripture refers to the seed of Abraham who is it talking about? From the book title you can assume that Reisinger presents four different “seeds” of Abraham: There’s the 2 different physical seeds (Isaac & Ishmael), then there’s Christ and also the Church (spiritual seed). These need to be properly understood for you to have a clear understanding of God’s purposes through history. I’ll stop now, although I could probably go on and on…. And friends, theology really does matter!!!! So, at the very least put this book on your wish list!

Contentment, Prosperity and God’s Glory by Jeremiah Burroughs

Great little book on learning to be content. He focuses more in this book on how we need to learn to be content it times of blessing and prosperity – because that’s when we take things for granted.

“Oh, the greatest thing that I need is a thankful heart, for if I had but that, then I would be happy indeed.” (p. 114)

“The strength of a Christian is to enjoy God’s gifts, to make use of whatever God allows, to take the sweetness from it, and yet to avoid the temptation – in other words, to take away that which is good and to cast away that which is not good.” (p. 20)

Outgrowing the Ingrown Church by C. John Miller

This is a great book - I’m writing a book review for this book which I’ll be posting shortly, so you can read all about it soon!

Currently Reading:

Robert Chapman: Apostle of Love by Robert Peterson

Additional books I want to finish this month:

If You Bite & Devour One Another by Alexander Strauch

Accidental Pharisees by Larry Osborne

¹ For an outline of my position see this article: http://www.biblicalstudies.com/bstudy/hermenutics/nct.htm

For more information on this area of study I would recommend reading Abraham’s Four Seeds (see above).