JRF's #17 - The Birds: Our Teachers by John Stott

Yes that John Stott.  The John Stott who wrote the classics The Cross of Christ and Basic Christianity.

That same John Stott also happens to be an avid bird watcher.  In this book he follows Christ command to, "Look at the birds..." (Matthew 6:26) and shares some of his thoughts gathered over a lifetime of studying birds around the world.  In what he calls "ornitheology", Stott draws Biblical lessons from bird behavior.

For most of my life I never took much notice of birds.  But then I met Sarah and she was really into birds.  Since I was into Sarah, I started getting into birds.  Over the years my love of birds and birdwatching has grown (as has my love of Sarah!).  I, like Stott, have noticed that my interest in birds has resulted in an increased awareness of the fuel for the fire of worshipping God that can be found in His living artwork.

Although I didn't always agree with Stott, and at times the connections between bird behavior and Biblical truth felt a little forced, this book was a great reminder that all of creation should point us back to worship the Creator.

JRF's #16 - The Cambridge Seven by John Pollock

This true story recounts one of the key moments in modern missions history, when God seized the hearts of 7 Cambridge students, all very different from each other, and compelled them to give up their all to join Hudson Taylor in bringing the Gospel to the lost of China.

The book focuses on how God beautifully worked and weaved these men's lives together in a way that not only brought the Good News of Jesus Christ to hundreds in China, but also awakened thousands of Western Christians to embrace the long neglected command of their Lord to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Although at times difficult to follow due to the stilted writing style and many names to keep track of, this book was a thrilling and encouraging read.  It was thrilling because the hand of God is so clearly seen as He responded to the prayers of His children, from a missionary professor in China to an old widow in a poor English cottage and countless others, so that at the right time and the right place the right men would respond to His call.  It was encouraging because the author was not shy about conveying not only these men's victories but also their failures.  In particular, Stanley Smith, the foundational member of the Cambridge Seven, was a man of great ebb and flow in his spiritual growth.

As my wife and I move towards pursuing missions in Indonesia, the story of the Cambridge Seven will be a clear reminder of the power and necessity of prayer and the truth that, "God does not deal with you until you are wholly given up to Him, and then He will tell you what He would have you do."

"...the very content of the word 'sacrifice' seemed reversed: and each man wondered whether he could afford the cost, not of utter devotion and worldly loss but of compromise and the loss of spiritual power and joy.  Nothing less than the experience of these two men was worth having."

- the reflection of an undergraduate who had heard Stanley Smith and C.T. Studd speak of their surrender to God's call

JRF's #15 - The Last Day of a Condemned Man by Victor Hugo

This first major work by Victor Hugo written in 1829 was intended to be a protest against France's public death penalty, specifically execution by means of the guilotine (which was still a legitimate form of execution in France until 1981).

Hugo makes his case not directly but by means of the criminal's first person account from the day of his sentencing to his execution six weeks later.  The reader cannot help but be moved at the mental torment that this man goes through.  By far the most heartrenching scene is near the end where, hours from his execution, he gets to see his soon to be orphaned three year old daughter only to find out that she has no idea who he is and is repulsed by his tears and haggard appearance:

"The poor child had not seen me for a year.  She had forgotten me, --my face, my words, my voice.  Alas! who, indeed, would recognize me with this beard, these clothes, and this palor? What! already forgotten by the only one whom I wanted to remember me! What! no longer a father, even now!  To be condemned never again to hear the word in the language of children, which is so gentle that it cannot belong to that of men - 'Papa!'"

Most of the details surrounding the identify of the criminal and his crime are left shrouded in ambiquity.  Furthermore,while the guilt of the criminal is not in question, whether or not he is remorseful is left murky.  This forces the reader to decide whether or not to pity him, and even more importantly - what factors and in what circumstances is pity and compassion merited?

Here are a few thoughts I will takeaway:

- I love Victor Hugo's writing.  I already knew that though.

- Sin is terrifyingly destructive.

- In a world poisoned by sin, God has given government the responsibility to maintain order (Romans 13) which can include the death penalty.

- I am thankful to live in a country that values justice and seeks to maintain it in a humane way

- True justice will never be satisfatorily found this side of eternity.

- The last days of this man's life would have been very different if he had known the hope of Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection.  That story would have been one of the triumph of God's grace rather than the tradgedy of sin.

Victor Hugo did not change my view on capital punishment, although I doubt I will ever be excited about it.

JRF's #14 - Be Prepared by Gary Greenberg and Jeannie Hayden

Here is another book from my rapidly growing parenting section.  However, this book stands out in that most of my parenting books are written by theologians whose aim is to expound the applicable passages in God's Word and faithfully apply them to parenting today.  These books are foundational and essential.  Yet no matter how great my theology of parenting is I still need to learn about diapers, breast pumps, and any number of other nitty-gritty baby raising details.  This book was written for the dad who doesn't know what he needs to know and/or doesn't want to know what he needs to know - but still needs to know everything he can know about taking care of a new born and the mother of that new born.

This book does an excellent job of distilling the important and relevant information for dads into an entertaining and to-the point presentation.  It also provides crucial advice of the sort that you would normally only have access to if you were lucky enough to have good friends that just so happen to also be good dads.  Instead of keeping this kind of information on the low down, the authors have published these nuggets for the good of all Daddom.  Nuggets like:

- Tactics for staying upright at your desk at work even though you haven't slept in weeks

- Scientific rationale to justify the 5 second rule to your wife, so that you aren't constantly having to wash your baby's pacifier every time she drops it on the dirty floor

- How to overcome the trauma of watching your child born

- How to defend your baby from an attacking bear while camping

Along with the book the authors have created a very helpful website.  This website provides a treasure trove of useful tools such as a birthday party scene you can download then scan your munchkin's face into and then send out to your parents, in-laws, friends and put in the baby scrapbook to make them all think you threw an epic 1 year birthday party - instead of actually going to the trouble of having a party that your kid will never remember and probably won't even enjoy.

I am thankful to my cousin for recommending this book to me and I know that I will be referencing it often in the months to come.  I will also be giving this book to my friends who have or are seeking to have progeny.

JRF's #13 - The Fulfilled Family by John MacArthur

This brief little book provides an excellent survey of foundational Biblical principles for "God's design for your home."  Most of the book works through the apostle Paul's instructions for the believing families in Ephesus.  Ephesians 5:22 - 6:4 is the "pivotal biblical passage on the subject," as it deals with "every key relationship in the home."  I found that looking at these key relationships and roles within the framework of the context of Ephesians 5-6 was extremely helpful especially in seeing the God-ordained roles for husbands and wives, parents and children all defined and subject to the over-arching command for families and individuals to live Spirit-filled lives of mutual submission to each other.  Understanding words like leadership, authority and submission Biblically makes it very clear that the roles and responsibilities unique to individuals within families are to be expressions of love that build each other up, not acts of selfishness that destroy.  In other words, leadership and submission defined Biblically are not opposites (as worldly wisdom would assert).  Sacrificial leadership is an act of submission.

I found another helpful aspect of this book to be its focus on principles, not specifics.  Once explaining and expounding the clear, simple principles for God-centered family relationships, MacArthur affirms that there is much freedom and need for parents and spouses to be creative in how they live out those principles.  For instance, in the chapter on parenting, the goal of discipline -addressing the child's fundamental spiritual needs - not the method of discipline, is where the emphasis is placed.  In focusing on key principles and not specifics, this book is able to provide a strong foundation for those wanting to understand God's will and purposes for both their family and the institution of the family in general.  I highly recommend.

JRF's #12 - Confessions by Augustine of Hippo

This book written between 398-400 AD by probably the most influential early Church father, Augustine of Hippo, is widely recognized as the first Western autobiography.

Part journal, part autobiography and all parts worship, Confessions lets the reader peer into the window of Augustine's prayer closet as he recounts back to God the spiritual, physical, intellectual, and emotional journeys that they have walked together.

His writing is deeply theological, philosophical, honest and passionate...and at times hard to follow.  Seeing this work not as a traditional, chronological history or autobiography but as a series of fervent prayers ignited by Augustine's memory and discernment of God's loving hand in his personal history helps to keep pace with and more fully appreciate Augustine's writing style.

Although I have read about Augustine and interacted with excerpts of his writings before, this was my first time reading a complete work of his.  I understand why he has been so influential.  While many things flew over my head I constantly found myself being challenged and encouraged.  Many sections of this book were filled with pages of emotional sentences ending with question marks.  Questions like, "By what tricks and suggestions does the enemy lure me to desire some sign from You, O Lord my God, to whom I owe humble and single-hearted service?" or "But what do I love, when I love You?"  I found myself identifying with his way of thinking and struggling through questions with God, as many of my journals are filled with similar questions, although they are not nearly asked with the same theological depth or eloquence.  Particularly Augustine's lust filled life as an unbeliever, his mother's faithful and agonizing prayers for his salvation, and his struggles with purity as a believer were aspects that I identified with.

As far as quotations go, Augustine is the 4th cent. C.S. Lewis.  Here is just a small taste:

"You initiate conversation with all, whatever the varied ways they ask to gain Your counsel.  You make Your answers clear.  The problem is that not all clearly hear.  All in some way consult You, according to what they are willing to ask.  Not all are able to hear beyond what they desire to hear."

"Give us what You command us to have, and You can command anything You want to."

"He alone moved free among the dead.

He only had power to lay down His life.

He only had power to take it again.

Victor and Victim, and so Victor because Victim.

Priest and Sacrifice, and so Priest because Sacrifice."

Read Augustine.