Monday, April 21, 2008

RECOMMENDED BOOKS - APOLOGETICS

BECOMING CONVERSANT WITH THE EMERGING CHURCH
D A Carson

Category: Apologetics
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This book is a careful and informed assessment of the "emerging church" by respected author and scholar DA Carson. The "emerging church" movement has generated a lot of excitement and exerts an astonishingly broad influence. Is it the wave of the future or a passing fancy? Who are the leaders and what are they saying? The time has come for a mature assessment. DA Carson not only gives those who may be unfamiliar with it a perceptive introduction to the emerging church movement, but also includes a skillful assessment of its theological views. Carson addresses many of the troubling weaknesses of the movement frankly and thoughtfully, providing a perspective that is both honest and fair. Anyone interested in the future of the church in a rapidly changing world will find this an informative and stimulating read.


CAN I BE SURE I'M SAVED
R C Sproul

Category: Apologetics
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Many people in the church today are plagued by doubts about their salvation. Satan whispers that it is impossible that sinners such as they could be in a state of grace, and some churches compound the problem by teaching that it is possible for believers to lose their salvation. But assurance of salvation is possible in this life. Indeed, as Dr. R.C. Sproul argues in this Crucial Questions booklet, it is the duty of Christians to make their calling sure (2 Peter 1:10). To help believers reach this goal, Dr. Sproul defines assurance, shows how we can get it, reveals the blessings it confers, and warns of the dangers of false assurance. Here is assistance for those who struggle to know where they stand with Jesus Christ.


CHARISMATIC CHAOS
John Macarthur

Category: Apologetics
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Recognizing the importance of the charismatic movement and the need for a biblical evaluation of it, MacArthur analyzes the doctrinal differences between charismatics and non-charismatics in the light of Scripture. The charismatic movement of the past quarter-century has made an impact on the church unparalleled in history. But one legacy of the movement is confusion and mushy thinking. "My principal concern," writes MacArthur, "is to call the church to a firm commitment to the purity and authority of the Scriptures, and thereby to strengthen the unity of the true church." To tough questions that seem to divide, Charismatic Chaos provides tougher answers that strive to unite. This book tackles such questions as - Is experience a valid test of truth? - Does God still give revelation? - Prophets, fanatics, or heretics? - Does God still heal? - What should we think of the Signs and Wonders movement? - Does the Bible promise health and wealth? A beneficial read regardless of which side of the fence you are on.


CULTURE SHIFT
Al Mohler

Category: Apologetics
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The world in which you live is in the midst of a major cultural transformation–one leading to a widespread lack of faith, an increase in moral relativism, and a rejection of absolute truth. How are we to remain faithful followers of Christ as we live in this ever-shifting culture? How should we think about–and respond to–the crucial moral questions of our day? How can we stand up for the truth? In Culture Shift, Dr. R. Albert Mohler – one of today’s leading Christian thinkers and spokesmen – addresses these tough topics clearly, biblically and passionately: Christian faith and politics, the Supreme Court and religion, the truth about terrorism, Christian parents and public schools, the abortion debate, Christian response to global tragedies, and many more. Here is trustworthy help for developing a comprehensive Christian worldview. It’s timely information powerfully connected to timeless truth that will equip you to stand strong and speak out.


HEAVEN
Randy Alcorn

Category: Eschatology
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If you've always thought of Heaven as a realm of disembodied spirits, clouds, and eternal harp strumming, you're in for a wonderful surprise. This is a book about real people with real bodies enjoying close relationships with God and each other, eating, drinking, working, playing, traveling, worshiping, and discovering on a New Earth. Earth as God created it. Earth as he intended it to be. In the most comprehensive and definitive book on Heaven to date, Randy invites you to picture Heaven the way Scripture describes it—a bright, vibrant, and physical New Earth, free from sin, suffering, and death, and brimming with Christ's presence, wondrous natural beauty, and the richness of human culture as God intended it.


HOW SHOULD WE THEN LIVE
Francis Schaeffer

Category: Apologetics
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As one of the foremost evangelical thinkers of the 20th century, Francis Schaeffer long pondered the fate of declining western culture. In this brilliant book he analyzed the reasons for modern society's state of affairs and presented the only viable alternative; living by the Christian ethic, acceptance of God's revelation, and total affirmation of the Bible's morals, values, and meaning. How should we then live has become the benchmark for Christian worldview thinking today. Though written in 1976, Schaeffer's observations reveal a firm grasp of where everything was heading and as such, are perhaps even more relevant today.


KNOWING GOD
J I Packer

Category: Apologetics, Theology
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A lifelong pursuit of knowing God should embody the Christian's existence. According to eminent theologian J.I. Packer, however, Christians have become enchanted by modern skepticism and have joined the "gigantic conspiracy of misdirection" by failing to put first things first. Knowing God aims to redirect our attention to the simple, deep truth that to know God is to love His Word. What began as a number of consecutive articles angled for "honest, no-nonsense readers who were fed up with facile Christian verbiage" in 1973, Knowing God has become a contemporary classic by creating "small studies out of great subjects." Each chapter is so specific in focus (covering topics such as the trinity, election, God's wrath, and God's sovereignty), that each succeeding chapter's theology seems to rival the next, until one's mind is so expanded that one's entire view of God has changed. The lazy and faint-hearted should be warned about this timeless work - God is magnified, the sinner is humbled, and the saint encouraged.


THE CONSEQUENCES OF IDEAS
R C Sproul

Category: Apologetics
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If you think philosophy is irrelevant to your daily life, think again. You need only observe the world around you to discover how substantially the ideas of history's thinkers affect us still. You can hear it in the beliefs of your non-Christian friends. In the media, your music, your children's classrooms. You can see it in our public policies, on every bookstore shelf, in the way we understand our very existence - even in the visible church. We like to believe that we create our little worlds from scratch and then live in them. But the reality is, we step into an environment that already exists, and we learn to interact with it. The foundational thinking of philosophy tries to lay bare all of our assumptions, revealing our false and sometimes dangerous beliefs so that we may arrive at a coherent worldview. The greater our familiarity with the ideas that have shaped our culture over the centuries, the greater our ability to understand and influence that culture for Christ.


THE DISCIPLINE OF SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT
Tim Challies

Category: Apologetics
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Tim Challies' first book looks to the Bible to seek what God teaches on the subject of spiritual discernment. Spiritual discernment is a term Challies defines as the skill of understanding and applying God’s Word with the purpose of separating truth from error and right from wrong. Written for the general reader and in a way that is suitable for a wide audience, the book teaches people to think biblically so they might act biblically. It appeals for discernment, teaching the importance of this discipline in guarding the good news God has entrusted to us.


THE JESUS YOU CAN'T IGNORE
John Macarthur

Category: Apologetics
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If you’ve ever wondered how to deal with false teachers and their bad theology, where better to look than Jesus and His example. So how did Jesus deal with religious leaders who taught error and rejected the gospel? Did He seek common doctrinal ground and engage in dialogue? Did He soften and adapt the gospel so it wouldn’t confront or make them uncomfortable? In this book, John MacArthur explores the Lord’s many personal, often explosive encounters with the influential teachers of His day. You’ll see how both Jesus’ message and His manner have direct application for believers who love truth in this age of accommodation and compromise.


THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Peter Hammond

Category: Apologetics
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This work by Dr. Peter Hammond is an invaluable resource for Discipleship and Reformation. Dr. Martin Luther declared: “the first duty of the Gospel preacher is to declare God’s Law and to show the nature of sin.” The Puritan author of Pilgrims Progress, John Bunyan, said: “A man who does not know the nature of the Law cannot know the nature of sin.” Charles Spurgeon declared: “They will never accept grace until they tremble before a just and Holy Law.” “Therefore the Law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). The Ten Commandments – God’s Perfect Law of Liberty identifies the contemporary idols for destruction and clearly shows, step by step, how we can seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, applying the Lordship of Jesus Christ to all areas of life. “The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul” (Psalm 19:7).


TRUSTING GOD
Jerry Bridges

Category: Apologetics
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Because obeying God makes sense to us. In most cases, His laws appear reasonable and wise, and even when we don’t want to obey them, we usually concede that they are good for us. But the circumstances we find ourselves in often defy explanation. When unexpected situations arise that appear unjust, irrational, or even dreadful, we feel confused and frustrated. And before long, we begin to doubt God’s concern for us or His control over our lives. Adversity is hard to endure and can even be harder to understand. If God were really in control, why would He allow the tragic auto accident or crucial job loss? How could He permit cancer in a loved one or the death of a child? In an effort to strengthen his own trust in God during a time of adversity, Jerry Bridges began a lengthy Bible study on the topic of God’s sovereignty. What he learned changed his life, and he now shares the fruit of that study with you in Trusting God.


TRUTH WAR
John Macarthur

Category: Apologetics
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Right now, truth is under attack, and it's going on within the boundaries of evangelicalism. With the "emergence" of the emergent movement there has been an unprecedented increase in attacks on the authority of Scripture and it's claims on absolute truth. There's a lot at stake and there's no middle ground — no safe zone for the uncommitted in this war. John MacArthur has written this book to unveil the enemy's tactics and equip you to fight. Here's what you'll learn: The pitfalls of postmodern thinking; the inherent flaws of the Emerging Church Movement; the historic skirmishes in the truth war and their effect on the contemporary church; the vital importance of truth and certainty in a postmodern age.


UNIVERSITY OF DESTRUCTION
David Wheaton

Category: Apologetics
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The statistic is staggering: As many as 50 percent of Christian students say they have lost their faith after four years in college. For far too many students, the transition from home life to campus life is traumatic - what begins as a University of Instruction often ends up being a University of Destruction . . . with long-lasting negative effects and no guarantee of return. Relating his own experiences at Stanford, David Wheaton describes the three Pillars of Peril you will face in college - sex, drugs/alcohol, and humanism - and presents a game plan for victory over these pitfalls based on raising your spiritual GPA. You will also receive practical advice on dating, friends, choosing the right college, and how to get back on course if you have gone astray. Headed to college? Already there? Let the Gospel centered approach of University of Destruction show you how to be an Overcomer on campus!


WORLD RELIGIONS IN A NUTSHELL
Ray Comfort

Category: Apologetics, Evangelism
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In our pluralistic society, few people have to travel to a foreign mission field to find those of other faiths. Our neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces are filled with people of different religions — and no religion — who need to hear about the Savior. Yet most Christians feel ill-equipped to speak to them. Ray Comfort gives you all the information you need to reach people in false religious systems effectively (including conversion testimonies and witnessing encounters). This concise guide not only clearly explains the difference between Christianity and the other major religions, but will arm you with all the ammunition you need to go out into the battle with confidence.

1 comment:

Cameron Buettel said...

Books that help with contending for the faith and exposing that which is false.