Salvation Belongs To Our God By Chris Wright

The sub-title to Chris Wright’s fine book is ‘Celebrating the Bible’s central story’. Knowing that you are saved is undoubtedly the greatest thing that can ever happen to you. Knowing more about God’s salvation can only enrich that experience.

God saves in so many ways. In the Old Testament He saved Israel from their enemies, gave them victory in battle, healed them from their sicknesses, rescued them from their persecutors and vindicated them in court. All these are seen as experiencing God’s great salvation.

In the New Testament, Peter is saved from drowning, many are saved from sickness and some even from physical death. God saves us from many crises. As Chris Wright points out, ‘We humans need a lot of saving’!

However, salvation from sin and judgement becomes the central theme of the book and we are plainly shown that this salvation belongs to God. Seeing salvation from this perspective is so releasing and faith-building. In our man-centred society it is so refreshing to be reminded that only God can save, and indeed not any god but only the one revealed in the Bible who has been saving right throughout the Bible story and whose salvation is celebrated by the singing throng in the book of Revelation.

Seeing God’s great plan of salvation from Abraham through Moses and on into the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus and his great work of salvation on the cross will strengthen your faith.

Chris Wright’s writings are always so accessible and helpful. Once again he has done a superb job. I recommend this book to you enthusiastically. As Chris Wright says, ‘Salvation does not consist in mere words … words are needed because salvation is a narrative that needs to be told. Salvation is good news that needs to be announced, about events that need to be known, revealing a God who needs to be trusted.’

	Worship Matters By Bob Kauflin

I have read several books on worship but Bob’s is probably the most thorough. His goals and objectives as a worship leader are excellent and I certainly encourage all elders and worship leaders to read the book.

Indeed anyone who realises that their primary call is to be a worshipper will be enriched in working through Bob’s fine book. As Stuart Townend says, ‘Bob’s approach is humble, yet authoritative; comprehensive, yet inspirational.’ Matt Redman adds, ‘Bob loves God, values theology, and cares about people. This mix is found throughout this wonderful and helpful book.’

	Just Like Us By Stef Liston

	The Supremacy of Christ in a Post-Modern World General Editors: John Piper and Justin Taylor

	Gems from Martyn Lloyd-Jones by Tony Sargent

If you are a fan of Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones (and if you're not, why not?) you will be deeply grateful to Tony Sargent for his extraordinary labour of love in gathering many hundreds of quotes from the peerless preacher.

He was a man of extraordinary wisdom and spiritual passion, and is phenomenally quotable. You may not be a serious reader, but you can dip into page after page of stirring and inspiring insights, and in a few moments be edified and freshly motivated. This is a book you need to have.

When it first arrived on my desk I had to ask Janis, my secretary, to take it away from me because I couldn't put it down! Rather like a bag of delicious sweets, you are tempted to keep returning for another of the Doctor's magnificent gems.

	The Forgotten Christ Edited by Stephen Clark

This excellent book is both mind-stretching and heart-warming as six different authors present their papers on themes centred in the mystery of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is possible for us to sing our songs of love and devotion to Jesus without ever seriously contemplating the phenomenal wonder of who he is, namely God Incarnate, God with us living the life of a man, and dying a death cursed and condemned in our place.

The book provides a wonderful provocation to fix your eyes on Jesus and consider him perhaps in ways you have never done before.

I warmly commend it to you.

	Zion's Christian Soldiers? by Stephen Sizer

In recent years, Tim LaHaye's best-selling Left Behind series has enjoyed high visibility in some Christian bookshops and can often be seen prominently displayed on bookshelves in airports, particularly in the USA.

A previous generation will remember the phenomenally popular Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey. Such sensational books seem to take the market by storm in spite of their very fanciful approach to the themes which they cover. What is needed is a book more genuinely submissive to Scripture and more Christ-centred in its approach, and happily in Zion's Christian Soldiers? we have such a book.

Although Stephen Sizer does come out fighting and makes his points with some vigour, it is probably true that, given some of the statements made on Christian television by such men as John Hagee, it probably needs someone to stand their ground firmly with something of a combative attitude. In his well-argued book, Stephen Sizer challenges the views held by dispensationalists and demonstrates from Scripture that the apostles were very clear regarding the identity of God's chosen people. Issues of land and temple are well handled.

Dismissing the 'replacement theology' tag, Stephen Sizer argues,
'It is not that the church has replaced Israel. Rather, in the New Covenant church, God has fulfilled the promises originally made to the Old Covenant church.'

Though you may not dot every 'i' or cross every 't' in this book, you would be well-served to own it, read and digest it to help you stand on clear New Testament ground and withstand the tide of fanciful and sadly often emotive teaching that surrounds these themes.
You will also appreciate John Stott's previously unpublished but superbly argued chapter on the place of Israel which concludes the book and which Dick Lucas describes as 'a masterpiece of clarity in an area marked too often by confusion and unjustified assertions'.
This is a book you would do well to have.

	Alexander Boddy by Gavin Wakefield

A fascinating new biography recalling the earliest invasion of Pentecostalism into the UK. Alexander Boddy was an Anglican minister, truly hungry for the presence of God yet with a genuinely eirenic spirit, constantly making every effort to maintain unity while revolutionary new experiences were taking place around him.

Following the outbreak of tongue-speaking in Azusa Street, Los Angeles and Thomas Barratt's visit to Sunderland welcomed by Boddy, it is interesting to see how these very early days of the outbreak of supernatural gifts invaded the world of this Anglican minister, whose advisers were Bishop Moule and Bishop Lightfoot. Later Smith Wigglesworth came on the scene as the early Pentecostal movement gathered momentum.

Alexander Boddy travelled internationally and was a key leader in these ground-breaking days of spiritual upheaval.

	F.B. Meyer  by Bob Holman

A contemporary of Alexander Boddy, F.B. Meyer would be better known as a result of his many devotional books. He became a famous Keswick speaker and an enormously popular spiritual leader and master of the pulpit in the years between C.H. Spurgeon and Campbell Morgan.

What this biography lacks in style it makes up for in its interesting detail of Meyer's life, including his personal search for holiness and his passion for helping the poor, which led to sustained sacrificial decisions.

I have often been asked which book I would recommend to a new Christian, or indeed to an established believer who wants to start reading. I think I have invariably answered that they should read
J I Packer's famous classic Knowing God. Above all, Christians need to know God.

It is with real enthusiasm, therefore, that I am now also able to recommend a new and very worthy additional book, Incomparable by Andrew Wilson, a young man from the Newfrontiers King's Church in Eastbourne, UK.

It is possible to be a Christian and yet remain ignorant of God, or become as A W Tozer said, '…snared in the coils of a spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him we need no more seek Him.'

Some would argue, 'I don't want to know about God, I want to know God Himself.' Though this sounds a fine distinction, it is actually false in that knowing God, like knowing any one, also consists in knowing about Him.

Andrew has written an excellent book, faithful to Scripture, full of insight, humour and fascinating facts, and with a delightful and engaging writing style.

His chapters are short and very accessible and the book is published under the Survivor label, reminding us that young people were also in mind when the book was published.

This book will bless and build up any believer who reads it. It can be read as an aide to daily devotion. It can be kept for reference. It will certainly be an eye-opener to the young Christian, and it will warm your heart as you freshly meditate on the wonder of the God in whom you have put your trust.

	Dominion and Dynasty by Stephen G Dempster

Having recommended Christopher Wright's outstanding book The Mission of God in our last magazine, I am delighted to recommend Stephen Dempster's Dominion and Dynasty.

I found it to be a particularly helpful follow up to Wright's fine book as once again it takes a wonderful overview of God's ultimate plan, particularly through the call and commission of Abraham, then highlighting the role of David and showing God's magnificent purpose of recovery accomplished through Christ, ultimately establishing the reclamation of a lost human dominion over the world.

This is a superb book which will help you grasp God's ultimate intention. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

	Pierced for our Transgressions by Steve Jeffery, Mike Ovey and Andrew Sach

This recently published study upholding the vital place of the doctrine of penal substitution has received so much acclaim that it hardly needs my further recommendation here.

A veritable who's who of evangelical scholars have endorsed it enthusiastically, which led to the first publication being sold out virtually overnight. Happily a second printing is now available and I encourage you to get your copy.

	The Mission of God by Christopher J H Wright

This magnificent book not only displays a wonderful overview of the Bible's grand narrative, it also provides profound motivation for faith, worship and expectation of inevitable blessing on a grand scale.
     Christopher Wright underlines the need for us not simply to snatch a few 'proof texts' that show that God is interested in our endeavour to do world mission. It is not for us to try to get God on our side in all our endeavours. Rather we can be phenomenally strengthened by letting God's great plan captivate and motivate us. God has His own mission concerning His creation and all the nations, and we have the privilege of being involved in it.
     In infinite mercy, following man's arrogance displayed at the Tower of Babel with its immediate judgment of scattering and multiplied languages, comes God's swift merciful call of Abraham in Genesis 12, resulting in the promised blessing of every nation, tribe and tongue. God has never stopped working towards the outworking of that plan.
     The choice of Israel, their redemption, the Covenant, the God-given ethical values which marked them out among the nations and their mission to the world are made clear throughout Christopher Wright's book. God, as revealed in the Scriptures, is personal, purposeful and goal-orientated. Israel's election was not a rejection of the other nations but was explicitly for the sake of all nations.
     Great exploits such as the Exodus, the crossing of the Jordan and David's victory over Goliath were 'that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel' (1 Sam. 17:46). God's eye was always on the whole earth. His purpose is not simply to take us all to heaven but to recover His creation and win all the nations for His Son, Israel's Messiah.
     Now that He sits on David's throne and is head of His body, as Christopher Wright points out, it is not so much the case that God has a mission for His church in the world but that God has a church for His mission in the world.
     God runs the world for the sake of the church; God calls the church for the sake of the world so that ultimately all the nations will worship Israel's God.
     Wright's superb book set my heart racing. He informed my mind and gripped my imagination, and stirred my motivations afresh. I urge you to get your own copy and fill it with your own personal underlinings as I have mine.

	God's Greater Glory by Bruce A Ware

Very few books have stirred me in recent years as much as Bruce Ware's magnificent book, which sets forth the glory of the providence of God in all its majesty.
     Wayne Grudem describes it as, 'A marvellous, spiritually refreshing, soul-enriching, peace-giving, joy-awakening book'!
     To be honest it is something of a tough read, written by a theological heavyweight, but I certainly found it not only informed my mind but moved me to worship God for the wonder of His awesome wisdom and power. It is rare to find a book written almost exclusively about God Himself, with virtually no exhortation to human activity yet which has such impact. It is well worth reading and re-reading. It also provides powerful answers to recently published teachings on 'open theism'.

	William Wilberforce a biography by Stephen Tomkins

200 years since his triumph in the House of Commons which saw the UK abolition of the slave trade, William Wilberforce is being particularly celebrated in the current movie Amazing Grace, which I recently enjoyed watching.
     Having seen the film, I was very pleased to discover so much more about this great Christian hero from Stephen Tomkins' biography. His extraordinary tenacity and courage in fighting the battle against slavery is well worth further study.
     A close friend of William Pitt, at 24 England's youngest ever Prime Minister, he himself entered the House of Commons aged 21 and never lost his seat throughout repeated elections until he resigned aged 75.
     He lived through an extraordinary period of history. Against the background of the French Revolution and the American War of Independence, the rise of Napoleon in France and the Methodists in the UK, he fought repeatedly against entrenched commercial commitment in the UK to the horrors of slavery. Vast numbers of Africans were taken by force, cruelly treated on terrifying journeys across the Atlantic Ocean and then kept in unspeakable conditions and forced to work with total loss of human dignity.
     Stephen Tomkins faithfully shows the intricacy of the political scene and the agonising setbacks and delays which Wilberforce had to endure before victory was finally celebrated.
     It is fascinating to read of his friendship with John Newton and the encouragement that he received from the 86-year-old John Wesley, who wrote 'unless God had raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God is for you who can be against you? ... Oh be not weary of well-doing. Go on, in the name of God and in the power of His might, 'til even American slavery (the vilest that ever saw the sun) shall vanish away before it.'
     Tomkins demonstrates that Wilberforce was not only a brilliant parliamentarian but also a devoted Christian motivated by his commitment to Christ. He also covers other areas of political endeavour and conflict where Wilberforce sought to express his thoroughgoing Christian principles.
     Though opposed throughout his nineteen years of endeavour in the Commons, he was ultimately applauded and celebrated in the House where Tomkins records, 'They filled the chamber with their cheers – a display unprecedented in living memory – he sat there in a daze, tears streaming down his cheeks.' After years of seeing the vote go against him this final Bill was carried by a majority of 283 votes to 16.
     It's recorded that following his triumph Wilberforce asked, 'What shall we abolish next?'

	Dynamic Diversity by Bruce Milne

A book that should make any one within the Newfrontiers family very encouraged indeed!
     Bruce Milne brings us a very up-to-date view of God's great plan to establish across the world what John Kpikpi calls 'God's New Tribe'. God is looking for a new humanity in Christ and Milne superbly demonstrates that not only is this a profound Biblical doctrine but also 'an idea whose hour has come'.
Milne's well-researched book points out, for instance, that in London children in the school system speak a staggering 300 different languages and that 21st century cities provide great contexts for multiracial churches to demonstrate the power and wisdom of God.
     The book packs a real punch!

	The Jesus Gospel by Liam Goligher

In a book that R T Kendall says 'every Christian should read' and
J I Packer describes as 'gloriously head-clearing and heart-warming', Liam Goligher brings us back to the great centralities of the gospel and particularly the vital place of Christ's taking the penalty for our sins as our substitute.
    The book includes a response to the recent sad book The Lost Message of Jesus with its dismissal of the Biblical doctrine of penal substitution. Liam Goligher answers the view expressed in that book which argues that Christ's substitution for us seemed like 'a form of cosmic child abuse – a vengeful Father punishing His Son for an offence he has not even committed', which is seen by the authors as 'morally dubious and a huge barrier to faith'.
    Beginning and ending in the magnificent prayer of Jesus recorded in John 17, we are taken superbly through the Scriptures and their unyielding insistence on the need for atonement for human sin. In a fine chapter on Isaiah 53, for instance, Liam Goligher establishes the reality that 'there can be no avoiding the fact that the Servant acts as a substitute on behalf of others'. He points out that eight of its twelve verses are quoted in the New Testament and demonstrates that no other passage from the Old Testament was as important to the early church.
    Those of us who celebrate the incredible kindness of God and the magnificent sacrifice of His Son in taking the blame and bearing the wrath will find this excellent book very accessible in its writing style and very strengthening to our faith.

	Adopted into God's Family by Trevor J. Burke

This is another worthy contribution to this excellent IVP series of
New Studies in Biblical Theology.
    Trevor Burke vividly demonstrates that although it is wonderful to be justified and declared righteous by God and also to be redeemed from the slavery of sin, more wonderful than all is to be adopted into God's family and enjoy the full rights of sonship.
    Against the backdrop of the Roman practice of adoption with its life-transforming implications, we are taken through the glories of the Father's loving choice of us, the privileges and responsibilities of being part of His family of adopted sons, and the magnificent model of Christ's unique sonship.
    Apart from firing a few blanks in his chapter on 'Adoption and the Holy Spirit', Trevor Burke has provided us with a superb heart-warming book. I found it stirring and inspirational.
    As Alastair McGrath says (quoted on page 197), 'Adoption is about being wanted. It is about belonging.' There are few themes that can inspire such joy, especially when you realise that we are talking about God and you!

	When Heaven Invades Earth by Bill Johnson

In spite of some very serious theological howlers (e.g. Jesus 'laid his divinity aside') and some questionable interpretations of Scripture, this is nevertheless a provocative book that will stir all who want to be constantly provoked to be channels of the Holy Spirit's miraculous power.
    His robust faith and remarkable reports of healings and miracles are inspirational and genuinely motivational.

	Facedown by Matt Redman

This outstanding and accessible little book by Matt Redman is a wealth of insight into the glory and majesty of God. Matt, famous as a gifted songwriter and worship leader, is also a very skilled writer. Sometimes his prose borders on the poetic as he expresses his own personal preoccupation with God with such fascinating skill that you find yourself inevitably drawn in to share his thoughts and feel some of his feelings.
    I was reminded of the matchless skills of A.W. Tozer as I read Matt's excellent chapters, focused as they are not on 'worship techniques' but upon God himself.
    Sometimes Matt uses insightful illustrations such as his comparison with his daughter's goldfish repeatedly circling the bowl compared to the untamed beauty of the creatures of the deep sea sometimes captured on television documentaries. He adds that we often seem to settle for 'goldfish bowl' worship, conveying a tame and domesticated God and stuck in the endless pursuit of the ordinary, while God is calling us to venture out into the ocean and encounter the extraordinary depths of God.
    In his chapter 'Worship with a Price' Matt lifts the veil regarding his outstanding song Blessed Be Your Name, which has been such an encouragement to members of my own congregation who have experienced terrible pain. He tells us that since writing this song he and Beth have received letters from people struggling with some of the harshest circumstances of life but have found comfort in worshipping God 'though there is pain in the offering'.
    Matt ends his book reminding us that the word 'awesome' is one of the most misused words in our current culture, commenting, 'These days, anything vaguely exciting is described as awesome.' He goes on to tell us that, 'The Bible tells us that awe is something reserved for God, and God alone.'
    So often charismatics are dismissed as 'happy clappies'. This book is no attempt to rob us of our joy or stop us clapping but invites us to go deeper and soar higher into the presence of God.
    All too often we can drift thoughtlessly into public worship and perhaps have little time for private worship. God wants us primarily to be worshippers. If you want to satisfy God's heart, Matt's outstanding little book will certainly help you. It's great to rub shoulders with an enthusiast and keep company with a zealot. Matt is a zealous worshipper. Get his book and get into it and let it get into you for the glory of God.

	The Message of Exodus by Alex Moytner

I have been very happy to recommend the Bible Speaks Today series as a genuinely helpful set of commentaries, some of which are exceptionally good. The whole series is well worth getting.
    The more recent series of Bible Themes in the same format is also worthy of recommendation. In the past we have especially highlighted The Living God by Peter Lewis, which, if you have not yet read it, I would strongly recommend. More recently I have benefited greatly from Derek Tidball's volume on The Message of the Cross and Philip Ryken on The Message of Salvation.
    Most recently The Message of Exodus has become available and, having so appreciated Motyer's The Prophecy of Isaiah, I was eager to read his Exodus and have not been disappointed.
    Alec Motyer's love of Scripture and delight in truth comes shining through. He has wonderful insights and a genuine strength of pastoral application. My own copy is already full of underlinings and exclamation marks.
    Here is a random quote for your interest as Motyer comments on God's fire enveloping the 'burning bush'.
    'Holiness endangers the sinner because the holiness of the Lord is not a passive attribute but an active force, embracing all that conforms to it (Psalm 24:3-4) and destroying all that offends (1 Samuel 6:19-20). The trepidation humans feel before the Lord is not, therefore, the trembling of the lowly before the Almighty or the created before the Creator, but the fear of sinners endangered by holiness (Isaiah 6:3-5). The Biblical symbol of this perilous force of holiness is fire, and it pervades the book of Exodus.'
    Here is a helpful commentary on the book of Exodus and one that could accompany your morning Bible study for some weeks to come and really enrich your understanding of God and His ways.
    Motyer has once again served us excellently with another fine book.

	Safely Home by Randy Alcorn

I don't remember ever recommending a novel before but Safely Home is unique. Deeply rooted in Randy Alcorn's strong theology of eternity previously encountered in his outstanding Money, Possessions and Eternity, he provides an excellent insight to circumstances in the church in China today. A magnificent and moving read.

RECENTLY REPRINTED – AVAILABLE NOW!

	Believing God by RT Kendall

If you have never read RT Kendall's classic book on Hebrews 11 you can thank God that Authentic have republished it at a ridiculously low price. It is magnificent and you ought to read it! It will do you good.

	Sounds From Heaven by Colin & Mary Peckham

This eye witness account of the revival in the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides from 1949-1952 is stirring stuff. Well worth reading just to catch the atmosphere of an island overwhelmed by the invasion of the Spirit of God.
    You will be deeply stirred by reading it and provoked to cry out to God to 'rend the heavens and come down' once again.

	Let The Nations Be Glad by John Piper

John Piper reminds us that mission is not the ultimate goal of the church, worship is, and that mission exists because worship doesn't.
    He goes on to show that where passion for God is weak zeal for mission will be similarly weak and that churches that are not centred in the exaltation of the majesty and beauty of God will hardly be motivated to 'declare His glory among the nations'.
    His chapters on Mission and Suffering and the relevance of Paul's attitude to ethnic groups are both fascinating and helpful. This book is a must for all who want to see Jesus glorified among the nations.

	onething by Sam Storms

Those who've enjoyed John Piper's writings will find similar themes in Sam Storms' fine book. Some would say he is more accessible, though he evidently shares Piper's appreciation for Jonathan Edwards and C S Lewis.
    We need 'How to…' books but we benefit greatly from books that remind us what the 'one thing' is. You may be a fan of 'City Slickers' and be reminded of Billy Crystal's perplexed question to Jack Pallance, 'But what is that one thing?'
Let me encourage you to get Sam Storms' book and find the answer.

	Aftershock by Adrian Holloway

He's done it again! Adrian's earlier book The Shock Of Your Life proved an amazing success.
   In this follow up book, we have another thought-provoking and refreshingly different approach.
   Several young people came away from Newday clutching the recently published book. My own youngest son said he found it 'easy to read and extremely helpful in answering all kinds of questions that you get asked about other religions and scientific challenges to the gospel.'

	Invading Secular Space by Martin Robinson & Dwight Smith

A thoughtful and provocative book centred in the conviction that for the church to fulfil its God-given calling it must restructure itself around the centrality of its call to mission. The authors write with a conviction that, despite its weaknesses and manifest failures, the church continues to occupy a central position in the intention of God for His world.
    The authors acknowledge that the worldwide church has demonstrated astonishing life and vigour throughout a period when the British church has suffered devastating decline.
    Formerly Christian leaders worked against the backdrop of a general consensus of the values of 'Christendom' but now church workers need to recognise the missionary challenge before them as they aim to invade secular space. Drawing from the history of the origins of Methodism, the authors communicate hope for a fresh outbreak of church life and church planting in the 21st Century.
    They also demonstrate the effectiveness of social action in the context of the preaching of the kingdom, which authenticated the evangelical message of the Wesleyans and opened the door for far greater impact for the gospel in that generation.
    Invading Secular Space is an exciting and stimulating book, giving much food for thought and full of such fascinating statistics as the fact that the number of churches in India has grown from 150,000 twenty years ago to some 400,000 churches today, meaning that there are more churches in India today than there are in the USA!
   The challenge to train new leaders is powerfully presented, understanding that the kind of leadership required is such that will empower and release the whole body of Christ into mobilisation and multiplication.
   The book contains an excellent mixture of heartfelt motivation and practical wisdom and is one that I wholeheartedly encourage you to read.

	Brothers, We Are Not Professionals by John Piper

A book that I would not hesitate to say every pastor should read. Outstanding material from an outstanding writer. Very diverse subjects handled with skill and passion. Having read the first seven chapters I would have recommended the book to any leader, but happily the standard is sustained throughout the whole thirty chapters.

	The Rise Of Evangelicalism by Mark A Noll

A fascinating book of research on the origins of 'evangelicalism' in the age of Edwards, Whitefield and the Wesleys. Biographical insights together with background information to the interweaving of the lives of key players in revival and the development of church life, which laid the basis for evangelicalism in the UK and North America. An excellent read.

	Prophetic Evangelism by Mark Stibbe

A provocative book full of living illustrations that demonstrate not only insight into the prophetic ministry but also a very challenging and stimulating evangelistic passion. Mark Stibbe certainly gives us lots to think about in this very worthwhile paperback.

	Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God by CJ Mahaney

Fans of CJ Mahaney will not be surprised to learn that this book is a magnificent mixture of insight, hilarity, searching challenge and powerful and practical application. A 'must' for all husbands!
Your wife will be glad you bought it! 

	Evangelical Feminism and Biblical Truth by Wayne Grudem

Wayne Grudem combines an exemplary submission to Scripture with academic skill and readable style. Described by Wallace Benn as 'a classic of our times', it is the fruit of hard work and godly application.

	When I Don't Desire God by John Piper

Few writers are having more impact on thoughtful, Christ-loving believers in this generation than John Piper. Once again he continues to press home his great theme of 'Christian hedonism' with very practical helps and guides for those who sometimes need to 'fight for joy'.
So it's a book you must have! 

	Ephesians by Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones

This superb series of teachings originally preached at Westminster Chapel by
Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones is a treasure for all who have gradually obtained the hardbacks. Now this extraordinary offer makes the set available in paperback. Don't miss the opportunity to have your own set of this truly remarkable series.

	Worshipping Trinity by Robin Parry

Here's a book to make you stop and think. Robin Parry challenges the general level of theological content in much of what is sung in particularly the new and charismatic churches today. He particularly highlights our lack of Trinitarian worship in that he discovers that our focus is often narrow, self-centred and perhaps lacking the kind of depth that many traditional hymns have formerly provided.
    He argues that our doctrine and our worship songs are often mutually reflective; we sing what we believe and believe what we sing. So this is something we must take seriously.
    Robin Parry argues, 'The knowledge of God we gain in worship is not the knowledge one can learn from a book but the participatory knowledge that comes from being involved in a relationship.' He adds, 'Those who shape public worship do need to think clearly and plan carefully to facilitate a rich and rounded encounter with the Christian God week by week…very diluted theology in worship songs and prayers leads to spiritually impoverished worshippers.'
    One more quote: 'The songwriters and worship leaders of today play an enormous part in shaping the faith and life of the church of tomorrow. This is an awesome responsibility. Those who shape worship are the de facto theologians of the church, whether they want to be or not.'
    For me, his chapters on the Trinity (even if they had not been in a book on worship) are well worth reading in their own right. He is extremely lucid in handling a difficult and mysterious subject. I found my own spirit was stirred by simply reading those excellent central chapters.
   I was not over impressed by his various suggested applications in response to the main thesis of the book, but this is a book well worth reading and one which I wholeheartedly recommend.

	Slave of Christ by Murray J Harris

This excellent book provides eye-opening background to Jewish, Greek and Roman slavery and provides strong arguments for our re-thinking the word 'servant' in most modern Bibles where the word 'slave' should be used. Slaves may have dignity and even own possessions, but they are certainly not free. They belong to another. An outstanding read.

	God's Unfaithful Wife by Raymond C Ortlund Jr

A stirring insight into God's attitude to disloyalty from His people. Sin is regarded not simply as the breaking of a code but as a breakdown of relationship with a God who wants to delight in the unique and passionate love of His bride. 'The Gospel tells the story of God's pursuing, faithful, wounded, angry, over-ruling, transforming, triumphant love. And it calls us to answer Him with a love which cleanses our lives of all spiritual whoredom.' An excellent book.

	The Cross From A Distance by Peter G Bolt

An outstanding study of Mark's gospel showing how the cross overshadows the life of Christ. Great chapters on the cross and 'the abolition of religion' and the cross as 'the end of the world'. A really stirring book well worth reading.

	The Temple and The Church's Mission by G K Beale

Anyone interested in world mission and also interested in the presence of God in His house should be magnetically drawn to this superb book. Surely worship and mission are two of our greatest passions. I urge you to read it and be blessed by it.

	Knowing Jesus Through The Old Testament by Christopher J H Wright

Have you wondered what Jesus said when he walked on the Emmaus road with the two disappointed disciples? We are told that Jesus, starting from Moses and all the prophets, gave them a heart-warming Bible study of all the things that concerned himself. For Jesus, the Old Testament was his Bible and he knew it very well.
    Christopher Wright has served us magnificently in this outstanding book. I have personally so enjoyed reading it and feel that my grasp of the person of our Lord Jesus Christ has been strengthened as a result.
    The author makes it clear that our understanding of Jesus can only be properly grounded by a full grasp of the Old Testament background to his coming. Jesus is the fulfilment of not only isolated prophetic promises but indeed the fulfilment of the whole purpose of the existence of the nation of Israel. You will be so enriched to consider Jesus, not only as the teller of parables and the healer of the sick but also as the fulfilment of great and magnificent purposes and promises of God that go back many centuries.
    Jesus is demonstrated to be the true son of Abraham and the true fulfilment of the promises to David. The Old Testament is full of future hope. It looks beyond itself to an expected end. God was understood to be working towards His desired goal for the earth and for humanity.
    God is demonstrated to be no minor local deity or purely national God so that even at the time of His making covenant with Israel He points out, 'The whole earth is mine' (Exod. 19:5). The purpose of the plagues and exodus were to show that, 'There is no one like me in all the earth' (Exod. 9:14).
    Taking us back to the story of Abraham, Christopher Wright points out that Israel existed only because of God's desire to redeem people from every nation. He goes on to point out that for New Testament writers such as Paul, the very gospel itself began not with Jesus but with Abraham.
    As Christopher Wright says, 'The Messiah was the completion of all that Israel had been put in the world for – i.e. God's self-revelation and His work of human redemption. For this reason, Jesus shares in the uniqueness of Israel. What God had been doing through no other nation He now completed through no other person than the Messiah Jesus…As the Messiah of Israel he could be the Saviour of the world.'

	The Passion That Shapes Nations by Charlie Cleverly

s the heat is being turned up in our hostile globe, martyrdom is no longer a matter of mere historic interest. Charlie challenges us to look again at the kind of devotion required in days of spiritual conflict. I recommend this outstanding book about some of the noble saints who laid down their lives for the Lord Jesus Christ.  It will stir up your passion to a degree that helps you shape your nation.

	Great Revivals by Colin Whittaker

I am delighted that Colin Whittaker's little classic book on Revival has been republished. It is always good for your soul to be reminded of revival days of the past. Few books on revival are as accessible and rewarding as this and I wholeheartedly recommend it to you. I pray that your own desires and longings for revival might be freshly stirred by rubbing shoulders with great heroes and giants of the past as you read their stories and the amazing outpourings of the Spirit that they experienced.

	An Introduction To The New Testament by D A Carson and Douglas Moo

A thoroughly helpful overview and introduction to the New Testament which will really serve pastors and Bible-teachers who need a reliable guide to the New Testament. Truly scholarly without becoming heavyweight, this is an attractive and genuinely instructive book.