Married for God by Christopher Ash

Reviewed by Author & Blogger Tim Challies

It’s not like we’re hurting for books on marriage. In fact, there may be more Christian books on marriage than on any topic besides prayer. This means that any new book has to be awfully good to stand out from an already-crowded field. It was pure joy, then, to read Christopher Ash’s Married for God, and see it do exactly that. It is one of the very best books on marriage I have ever read—and I’ve read a lot of them.

We ought to want what God wants in marriage. Or, to put it another way, God’s why matters more than my why.

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Right Side Up.  Author: Paul Grimmond

Review by Caitlin Hurley from Equip Book Club

At my church we are in the habit of regularly running Christianity Explored.  At the end of the course some people have become believers, while others are still thinking and working through what it means to follow this man Jesus.  At the end of each course we like to give the participants a book about Christianity that will help them to continue to think through who Jesus is and what it means to follow him.  We have discovered that Right Side Up by Paul Grimmond is the most helpful book to give.

There are so many things to love about this book.  Here are my top five reasons that I think this book is the perfect book to give new believers or people who are genuinely wresting with the gospel.

Clearly presents the gospel
The whole premise of this book is that without the gospel we are all living life the wrong way up.  To steal an illustration from the book, without the gospel it is like we are all walking around on our hands when we really should be walking on our feet.  Grimmond clearly argues that it is Jesus who turns us rights side up and allows us to live the way that we were created to live.  Paul starts by introducing the reader to the man Jesus and then shows how the Bible, from creation to Revelation, is one cohesive story about Jesus. Using simple language and rhetorical questions, Paul unpacks that sin is the reason our lives are upside down and that Jesus is the solution this problem.

Clearly unpacks Christian concepts and jargon
As Christians we have language that is unique to our tribe.  We say words or phrases like ‘the Holy Spirit’ or ‘trust in Jesus’ and know amongst ourselves what they mean.  For a new believer or seeker these words and concepts can be quite foreign and there may be embarrassment in asking what they mean.  Grimmond helpfully unpacks these concepts and many more throughout the book.  As someone who has been a Christian for a while this book has given me some really helpful language that I can use in my own personal evangelism to explain complex but life changing things.

Explains theology but also the practicalities of the Christian life
 Right side up not only clearly presents the gospel but it also provides wisdom on the day to day aspects of the Christian life. This wisdom ranges from God’s design for money, sex and relationships (chapter 6) to helping new believers tell their friends and family about why they are now living differently (chapter 9.) Other practicalities include how to read the Bible (chapter 7 and the appendices) and explanations of what church is and how to find a good one and how to pray (chapter 8).  Paul helpfully explains all the things that we as mature Christians have either taken for granted or presumed knowledge.

Easy to read
Grimmond has a winsome and endearing way of writing.  At some stages you almost feel like he is in the room and you are having a conversation with him.  Through the use of easy language, rhetorical questions, powerful illustrations and personal anecdotes this book could be a rather fast read. On the other hand the content is so rich and thought provoking that a slower read would be immensely rewarding.

Personal testimonies
Tying this book together is a series of personal testimonies from different people from all backgrounds and life stages.  Through these testimonies we learn what it means to live right side up. We hear of the challenges that this new life brings in a world wrong side up and also the joys of living right side up.  These testimonies bring a multitude of other voices to the book and provide extra wisdom that is deeply personable, true and easy to relate to.

When I finished this book I was reminded of the richness of God’s grace and the joys of living right side up. I also found myself genuinely encouraged to the share this joy with others.   Reading Right side up has spurred me on to share with people that we are living in an upside world and that the only way to get right side up is Jesus.

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Author: Faith Cook

Faith Cook has drawn on unpublished and little-known sources to produce this comprehensive new biography of the man of whom John Wesley said, ‘A few such as him would make a nation tremble. He carries fire wherever he goes’.

For 20 years in the mid-eighteenth century, a scarcely-know village on the Yorkshire Moors became one of the strongest centres of Christian influence in England.  George Whitefield and John Wesley were often drawn there, along with many others.  The Explanation lay in the life and ministry of William Grimshaw, curate of Haworth from 1742 until his death in 1763.

Under Grimshaw’s ministry the church’s empty pews filled and non-attenders were startled to hear “If you will not come to church, you shall hear me at home”.  Revival followed, and persecution too.  Triumphant love was Grimshaw’s supreme motivation in everything he said and did, across borders and denominations.  He declared “I love Christians, true Christians of all parties.  I do love them, I will love them, and none shall make me do otherwise”.

John MacArthur, of Grace to You ministries, writes: ‘Grimshaw’s unflagging energy and vigorous defence of the faith was matched by a charitable spirit that was a model of true Christlikeness . . . a surprising measure of what he said and wrote is germane to the times in which we live. This is a welcome addition to the rich treasure trove already available from the Banner of Truth. It is also a classic example of what a good biography ought to be.’

PAPERBACK: R100.00                     HARDCOVER: R180.00

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Author: Os Guinness

Do you have significant doubts about God? Are you afraid to doubt, much less admit to anyone that you aren’t fully convinced of God’s faithfulness? Are you so torn by your questions that life is losing its meaning?

This forthright but compassionate book works to tear away the layers of misunderstanding about doubt to reveal not only its dangers but its great value. As author Os Guinness explains: “If ours is an examined faith, we should be unafraid to doubt… There is no believing without some doubting, and believing is all the stronger for understanding and resolving doubt.”

For those who are unsure of God’s trustworthiness—and for those who are in a dark place, wanting to know “Why?” or “How long, O Lord?”—God in the Dark is a must. It puts a human face on the problem of doubt and examines it thoroughly. In a way that will respond to your questions, settle your fears, and strengthen your faith.

CBD PRICE: R200.00

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Author: James White

Have a look Inside the Sacred Book of One of the World’s Fastest-Growing Religions

What used to be an exotic religion of people halfway around the world is now the belief system of people living across the street.  And relying on the media and politicians to tell us what Muslims believe isn’t going to cut it.  Christians need to be better informed, whether the goal is to understand global politics or to talk to a Muslim neighbour.

Through fair, contextual use of the Qur’an as the primary source text, apologist James White presents Islamic beliefs about Christ, salvation, the Trinity, the afterlife, and other important topics. He shows how the sacred text of Islam differs from the teachings of the Bible in order to help Christians engage in open, honest discussions with Muslims.

CBD PROMOTIONAL PRICE: R250.00  
Prices valid while stocks last.

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 Author: Andy Stanley

Surely there’s more than one way to get to heaven? Bestselling author Andy Stanley addresses this popular belief held even among Christians. But believing that all good people go to heaven raises major problems, Stanley reveals. Is goodness not rewarded, then?  Is Christianity not fair?  Maybe not, he says. Readers will find out why Jesus taught that goodness is not even a requirement to enter heaven – and why Christianity is beyond fair. Andy Stanley leads believers and skeptics alike to a grateful awareness of God’s enormous grace and mercy.

Good People Go to Heaven…Dont They?

Sure they do. It only makes sense.

Actually, it doesnt really make any sense at all. Smart, educated, accomplished men and women everywhere are banking their eternities on a theory that doesnt hold water. Chances are, youve never really thought it through. But you owe it to yourself to do so.

Read this booklet and find out now whats wrong with the most popular theory about heavenand what it really takes to get there.

CBD PRICE: R75.00

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Author: John Piper       Reviewed by Blogger Tim Challies

I have encountered a lot of young men, a lot of young preachers, who want to model themselves after John Piper. They see his joy in the Lord, they see his passion for God’s glory, they see the fire he brings to his sermons, and they want to be like him. Unfortunately, I have seen more than a few preach with all the passion but none of the unction. They have learned that you can’t preach like Piper unless you know and love God like Piper. You can’t know and love God like Piper unless you first know, love, and treasure God’s Word as he does. He is not first a great preacher, but a man who treasures God through the Word of God.

A Peculiar Glory, Piper’s first major work in a number of years, explains why and how he has such deep-rooted confidence in the Bible. He sets out to answer this question: How are we to know that the Christian Scriptures are the word of God? Of course we have any number of books that answer the question. There is a whole genre of books that look to the history of the Bible, to the formation of the canon, to the accuracy of the narratives, to the fulfillment of prophecy, and so on. This is one way of arriving at the conviction that the Bible is truly God’s Word. But Piper takes a different approach. His concern is whether a person without access to scholarship and without access to specialized knowledge can have equal assurance. His concern is that even “ordinary people, with little chance of following complex and obscure textual and historical arguments, may discern whether the Christian Scriptures are the word of God. We may rejoice that God always raises up scholarly Christians to interact with scholarly opponents of Christian faith. But it is wrong to think that all believers need to follow those debates in order to have a justified faith in Scripture.”

His focus, then is the Bible’s self-attestation, or the internal witness of the Holy Spirit. Yet this internal witness is not a leap into the dark, a blind faith. “The argument of this book is that the final step of certainty concerning the Scriptures is the step of sight, not inference. The pathway that leads to sight may involve such empirical observation, and historical awareness, and rational thought. But the end we are seeking is not a probable inference from historical reasoning but a full assurance that we have seen the glory of God. Thus, at the end of all human means, the simplest preliterate person and the most educated scholar come to a saving knowledge of the truth of Scripture in the same way: by a sight of its glory.”  Read more…

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By Gloria Furman

There’s no such thing as “just” a mom…

Despite the routine tasks and mundane to-do lists, motherhood is anything but insignificant. God has designed motherhood as part of his greater plan to draw people to himself – instilling all women, whether called to traditional mothering or not, with an eternal purpose in nurturing others.

In this book, Gloria Furman searches the Scriptures for the mission of God in motherhood. She opens our eyes to God’s life-giving promises?promises intended to empower each and every woman as she makes disciples in her home, in her neighborhood, and around the world.

Gloria is a wife, mother of four, cross-cultural worker and writer.  In 2008 her family moved to the Middle East to plant Redeemer Church of Dubai where her husband, Dave, serves as the pastor.  Gloria has also written “Glimpses of Grace”, “The Pastors Wife” and “Treasuring Christ when your hands are full”.

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Author: Dimas Salaberrios

His street name was Daylight. But he was a nightmare.  On the streets of New York, darkness and violence reigned. Dimas “Daylight” Salaberrios popped his first pill when he was eleven years old, and just days later, he was selling drugs to his schoolmates. By fifteen, he was facing time at the notorious Rikers Island Prison. It was never safe to turn your back, and Dimas saw only one chance to survive: to become a street god. He would be the richest, most powerful ruler in the hood . . . or die trying.

But in one terrifying moment, with a gun pointed at his head, Dimas had to decide: How far would he go?  Was he finished taking reckless chances to rule as a god of the streets? Would he dare to entrust his life to the real God – an even riskier path – Because that God would send Dimas back down the darkest streets he’d ever known on a rescue mission after those still in danger.

Street God is the true story of one man’s against-all-odds journey from the streets to the altar and back again. A modern-day The Cross and the Switchblade for a new generation, it reveals that we’re never too far gone for God to change us, and shows how a single spark can illuminate even the darkest existence.

CBD PRICE: R280.00

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Craftsmen: Christ-Centered Proverbs for Men
By John Crotts

The craftsman can take a stack of wood and produce a beautiful piece of furniture. He not only possesses intellectual abilities to follow a blueprint or step-by-step instructions, but he is also an artist. His hands manipulate the wood into beautiful shapes. His eyes anticipate the right cuts and movements. His workmanship causes others to wonder at his skill.

Such craftsmanship has an application for all men. While not every men may be able to create the products of a master cabinet maker, each man is responsible to create his life with equal skill. Every area of a Christian man’s life must be molded by the wisdom of God. His words, his work, his relationships, and even the way he uses his resources must flow from a heart gripped by the character of God. Such a heartbeat for God’s glory will practically result in a life skillfully lived.

Craftsmen is designed to help men understand wisdom, to see Jesus Christ as the embodiment and source of wisdom, and to apply that wisdom to the god-given roles of husband and father.

CBD PRICE: R135.00

John Crotts has been the pastor and teacher of Faith Bible Church in Sharpsburg, Georgia since 1995. He graduated from Liberty University and received his M. Div. from The Master’s Seminary. He serves as a board member of the Fellowship of Independent Reformed Evangelicals. He co-authored the book Tying the Knot Tighter: Because Marriage Lasts a Lifetime with Martha Peace, and is the author of Mighty Men: The Starter’s Guide to Leading Your Family and Loving the Church: God’s People Flourishing in God’s Family.

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By Nabeel Qureshi

From New York Times bestselling author and former Muslim Nabeel Qureshi comes this personal, challenging, and respectful answer to the many questions surrounding jihad, the rise of ISIS, and Islamic terrorism.

San Bernardino was the most lethal terror attack on American soil since 9/11, and it came on the heels of a coordinated assault on Paris. There is no question that innocents were slaughtered in the name of Allah and in the way of jihad, but do the terrorists’ actions actually reflect the religion of Islam? The answer to this question is more pressing than ever, as waves of Muslim refugees arrive in the West seeking shelter from the violent ideology of ISIS.  Setting aside speculations and competing voices, what really is jihad? How are we to understand jihad in relation to our Muslim neighbours and friends? Why is there such a surge of Islamist terrorism in the world today, and how are we to respond?

In Answering Jihad, bestselling author Nabeel Qureshi (Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus) answers these questions from the perspective of a former Muslim who is deeply concerned for both his Muslim family and his American homeland.

Tim Challies writes about meeting Nabeel and asking him some questions about his book.  Read more here.

CBD PRICE: R260.00

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