Books I've read in the past year.

I love books. I spend a lot of time and inordinate amounts of money on books. Books are life itself!  

People often ask me what I am reading, and the answer is usually complicated - I often have five or more books on the go at once. Some books I read in one sitting, some I read over two days, some drag on for a few months. Below is a list of books I have read over the past year and a bit (from about January 2015 but I don't keep a tally so I may have missed some off). They are in no particular order though I have created sections to make it easier to see. I have put an * beside the books I would most highly recommend in each section.   For the commentaries section I have included commentaries of which I have read at least the majority of the book but not the whole thing - all of these were read in preparation for sermons and sermon series and so I didn't always have to read every page.

Just for fun I have also included at the bottom a list of the fiction, fantasy, and comic books I have read - the books I escape into at the end of a rough day, books which offer me something completely and utterly different from everything real in my life! As with my other books, I have a somewhat rather eclectic taste.

Anglicanism:

• Old Books
• The Lord's Supper - Thomas Cranmer*
• Christian Leaders of the Seventeenth Century - J.C. Ryle
• The Book of Common Prayer in its history and interpretation with special reference to existing controversies 1866 - Richard Paul Blakeney
• The Principles of Theology - W. H. Griffith Thomas
• Old Anglicanism and Modern Ritualism - F. Meyrick*
• New Books
• Preachers, Pastors, and Ambassadors - various
• A Fragile Unity: anti-ritualism and the division of Anglican Evangelicalism in the Nineteenth Century - James C Whisenant
• Our Inheritance of Faith: A Commentary on the Thirty-Nine Articles - Martin Davie
• The Effective Anglican - ed. Lee Gatiss
• Reformation Anglicanism: BIblical, Generous, Beautiful - Chuck Collins
• Divine Allurement: Cranmer's Comfortable Words - Ashley Null*
• Instruction in the Way of The Lord: A guide to the catechism of the BCP - Martin Davie
• A Fruitful Exhortation:A Guide to the Homilies - Gerald Bray
• Till Death us Do Part: The solemnization of Matrimony in the BCP - Simon Vibert
• God Truly Worshipped - ed Jonathan Dean
• Royal Priesthood in the English Reformation - Malcolm Yarnell III*
• The Collects of Thomas Cranmer - C Frederick Barbee & Paul Zahl
• The Devout Prayers of Thy Church - Peter Blake

Ministry:

• Burn Out
• Mad Church Disease - Anne Jackson
• Crazy Busy - Kevin deYoung
• Leading on Empty - Wayne Cordeiro*
• The Baxter Model: guidelines for pastoring today - Bishop Wallace Benn
• Evangelism - J Mack Stiller
• Expositional Preaching - David Helm*
• Church Discipline - Jonathan Leeman
• Church Elders - Jeramie Rinne
• Church Membership - Jonathan Leeman*
• I Am A Church Member - Thomas Rainer
• Online Mission and Ministry - Pam Smith
• Liturgy and Liberty - John Leach
• Simplicity in Preaching - JC Ryle*
• 100 Ways to Get Your Church Noticed - Neil Pugmire

Moral and Patoral:

• Understanding Gender Dysphoria - Mark Yarhouse*
• Same Sex Attraction
• Christian Faith and Same-Sex Attraction: Eastern Orthodox Reflections - Thomas Hopko
• Can you be gay and Christian? - Michael L. Brown
• What does the Bible teach about Homosexuality? - Kevin deYoung*
• The Bible and Homosexual Practice - Robert Gagnon

• Can Christian Men and Women be friends? - Joshua D. Jones
• Mental Health
• Depression: A Rescue Plan - Jim Winter
• Spurgeon's Sorrows - Zack Eswine*
• Bi-Polar Disorder: The Ultimate Guide - Sarah Owen & Amanda Saunders
• Forgotten Factors of Sexual Sin - Roy Hession*

Theology:

• The Historical Adam: Four Views - various
• The Law and Gospel: Five Views - various
• The God Who Justifies - James White
• The Holy Trinity - Robert Leetham*
• For us and for our Salvation - Lee Gatiss*
• The Future of Justification - John Piper
• Given for you: reclaiming Calvin's doctrine of the Lord's Supper - Keith A Mathison
• A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life - Joel R Beeke and Mark Jones
• A Case for Historic Premillenialism - ed. Craig Blomberg and Sung Chung*
• Without Precedent: Scripture, Tradition, and the Ordination of Women - Geoffrey Kirk
• Hearing Her Voice: A Biblical invitation for women preachers - John Dickson*
• Are We Together? - R.C. Sproul*
• Wycliffite Spirituality - eds J. Patricl Hornbeck II, Stephen E. Lahey, & Fiona Somerset
• From Heaven He Came and Sought Her - eds David Gibson & Jonathan Gibson

Sermons and Tracts:

• Discovering Romans - S Lewish Johnson Jr.
• The New Park Street Pulpit Vol.1 - Charles Spurgeon*
• The New Park Street Pulpit Vol.2 - Charles Spurgeon*
• Jonah: His life, character, and Mission - Patrick Fairbairn
• Are You Ready for the End of Time? J.C. Ryle
• Churches Beware! - J.C. Ryle
• God is For Us - Simon Ponsonby*
• The One Year Book of Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament - Nancy Guthrie

Charismatic Theology and Practice:

• Surprised by the Power of the Spirit - Jack Deere
• The Beginner's Guide to the Gift of Prophecy - Jack Deere
• The Beginner's Guide to Spiritual Gifts - Sam Storms
• Stranger to Fire: When Traditions Trumps Scripture - ed. Robert Graves *
• God Inside Out - Simon Ponsonby*

'Popular' Theology:

• Crazy Love- Francis Chan*
• Stop Asking Jesus into your Heart - J.D. Greear
• Taking God at His Word - Kevin DeYoung*
• The Good News We Almost Forgot - Kevin DeYoung
• A Call to Spiritual Reformation - Don Carson
• PROOF: finding freedom through the intoxicating joy of irresistible grace - Daniel Montgomery and Timothy Paul Jones
• The Hyper Grace Gospel: a response to Michael Brown and those opposed to the modern grace message - Paul Ellis
• Surprised by Grace: God's relentless pursuit of Rebels - Tullian Tchividjian
• Glorious Ruin: how suffering sets you free - Tullian Tchividjian
• Evidence for the Gospel - Clive Anderson & Brian Edwards
• For Calvinism - Michael Horton
• Chosen for Life - Sam Storms
• God's Unwelcome Recovery - Sean Oliver-Dee
• The Calvary Road - Roy Hession*

Commentaries:

• Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries
• Joel and Amos - David Hubbard
• Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah - David Baker, T. Desmond Alexander, & Bruce K. Waltke
• Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi - Andrew Hill
• The Preacher's Commentary: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah - Lloyd J. Ogilvie
• Teaching Amos - Bob Fyall*
• New American Commentary
• Hosea and Joel - Duane Garrett
• Amos, Obadiah, Jonah - Billy Smith & Frank Page
• Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah - Kenneth Barker & Waylon Bailey
• Haggai and Malachi - Richard Taylor & E Ray Clendenen
• Mark - James Brooks
• Acts - John Polhill
• The NIV Application Commentary
• Hosea, Amos, Micah - Gary Smith
• Haggai and Zechariah - Mar Boda
• Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah - James Bruckner
• Acts - Ajith Fernando*
• Zondervan Exegetical Commentary*
• Matthew - Grant R. Osborne
• Mark - Mark Strauss
• Acts - Eckhard Schnabel
• Pillar New Testament Commentary
• Mark - James Edwards
• Acts - David Peterson
• Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament
• Acts - Darrel Bock
• Christ-centered Exposistion
• Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi - Micah Fries, Stephen Rummage, & Robby Gallaty*

Fiction:

• R.A. Salvatore
• Gauntlgrym
• Neverwinter
• Charon's Claw
• The Last Threshold
• The Companions
• Night of the Hunter
• Rise of the King
• Vengeance of the Iron Dwarf
• Archmage
• The Return of Nagash - Josh Reynolds
• The Fall of Altdorf - Chris Wraight
• G. M. Berrow
• Twilight Sparke and the Crystal Heart Spell
• Pinkie Pie and the Rockin' Pony Party
• Rainbow Dash and the Daring Do Double Dare
• Rarity and the Curious Case of Charity
• Applejack and the Secret Diary Switcheroo
• Fluttershy and the Furry Friends Fair
• Princess Celestia and the Royal Rescue
• Lyra & BonBon and the Mares from S.M.I.L.E
• Daring Do and the Masked Thief of Marapore
• MLP:FiM Offical Guidebook - ed. Brandon T. Snider
• The Journal of Two Sisters - Amy Keating Rogers
• IDW Comics (various artists and authors)
• MLP:FiM Omnibus vol.1
• MLP:FiM Omnibus vol.2
• MLP:FiM 'fiendship is magic' omnibus

Commitment and Condemnation - Psalm 119.5-6

If only my ways were committed to keeping Your statutes!  Then I would not be ashamed when I think about all Your commands.  119.5-6

Shame is a powerful emotion.  Whether it is something we place upon ourselves, or something others force upon us, shame is a horrible feeling.  Worst of all it is something which seems to stick like glue and spread from one part of our life to the next like a wildfire.  The Psalmist feels shame when he looks at his life and then looks at the Bible and the life it calls on him to lead.  I am sure we all know this feeling.  

If only I was more committed!

If only I had more self-control!

If only I hadn’t done those things in the past and enjoyed them!

The list could go on.  The problem is that when we look at the commands of God in the Bible, when we look at how He wants us to live and what He wants us to be, we meet a standard which is simply impossible.  That is the truth of the matter.  We cannot and never in this life will keep the commands of God or live up to His statutes.  Sin is always going to hamstring us.  The spirit may be willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26.41).  Even saint Paul would cry out “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7.15)  

The Good News is that God became human and lived the life we cannot live.  Jesus came and lived among us as one of us.  Jesus was tempted but never gave in.  Jesus lived a life which was pure, spotless, perfect.  Jesus kept all the demands of the law and all the commandment of God.  Then, at the end, Jesus took all of our sin and became sin.  He took our place, He died the death we deserve, He sacrificed Himself to set us free from our failures.  When we put our faith in Jesus and lay down our failed attempts at being righteous He gives us His perfection, His good standing, His purity, His holiness.  When we have all this, when we have Jesus, we can say goodbye to shame.  When we stumble and fall we can look to Jesus and not our failures.  When we look at the Law and see it's impossible demands we can cast our eyes on the cross where He said “it is finished” and know the victory is won.  When we begin to feel shame or guilt we can proclaim as that sinner saint Paul did “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8.1)

Living with Diligence - Psalm 119.4

"You have commanded Your precepts be diligently kept." 119.4

Diligence.  It is the kind of word we expect wise leaders and noble kings to call their subjects to.  It is the kind of thing which teachers long for their students to demonstrate.  When I write  “diligence” my mind conjures up Winston Churchill calling on the British people to be diligent against their enemies and those who would take our freedom and cause us to live in fear - heartily speaking the rousing syllables “di-li-gen-ce” with a cigar firmly between his teeth and a fist raised high in the air.

Sadly, diligence is a neglected virtue in the 21st century.  Very few people seem to be diligent about anything.  We live in a world where everything and anything is at our fingertips through the internet, where televisions and films take us instantly across the globe or even to other worlds, and where more books filled with stories and distractions are published each year than ever before - not to mention my favourite time consuming, diligence eating, past time: computer games.  

With so many distractions it is little wonder we find it ever more difficult to stick at something.  Long gone are the days when a person would pick a single trade or hobby and become a master of it to the exclusion of others.  These days if you want to pick up a musical instrument the world offers you a confusing selection of options and capitalism ensures that if you have the money you can try them all till you find the one you like the most.  Getting bored of attempting to master painting watercolours? No problem! Just swap to another kind of art, heck you can even leave the traditional materials and do everything on your computer.  Getting tired of actually having a job? No problem! Just move into your parents basement and create a man-cave of action figures (in their boxes obviously!) and gaming consoles.

When it comes to the precepts of God, however,  His commands and decrees, we are called on to keep them all with diligence.  We are to be careful in observing them and persistent in bringing each and every area of our life under His command.  This takes effort, it is a process which we will have to go through till we die and we are finally glorified at the resurrection.  When we take knocks, when we fall and fail, when we face opposition or oppression, we cannot turn to some other way of life - we must be diligent and focused.  As a stonemason carefully chips away at the boulder to make a beautiful statue, so we too must chip away at our lives to make ourselves into an image of Jesus Christ.  The stonemason requires concentration, vision, training, time, patience, and of course great diligence.  The same is true for our sanctification.   When people look at our lives, would they see in us people who diligently fulfil the commands of God.  Let us call on Jesus to grant us this diligence through the Holy Spirit at work within us.