A Christian Book Per Month

            I have often wondered why so many great Christian writers struggle to get their work noticed. A few Christian authors sell well, but go to the used bookstores, thrift shops, and garage sales and invariably there will be several of their books with bindings unbroken.  Yet, in those same locations are hundreds of worn out novels with tattered pages. While reading the book John MacArthur, given to me by a friend, an answer came forward.

            "The role high-quality books play in our lives is absolutely critical. So why do so many Christians find it difficult to apply themselves to books? A.W. Tozer said that 'To enjoy a great religious book requires a degree of consecration to God and detachment from the world that few modern Christians have.' While it takes great determination to form new habits and cultivate our minds through books, even greater are the rewards you'll see in your thought and patterns and your spiritual growth." (John MacArthur)

            It seems that people use books as an escape, not as a tool for learning. But as Tozer reported, and MacArthur restated, believers need to make the decision that they want to cultivate their minds toward spiritual growth. The words that God has placed on the minds of so many writers were given to them for you. Those words explain the scripture, inform believers about discipleship and spiritual growth, give example about how others faced trials, and help believers to understand that we are in this journey together. Yet, if we are not reading, and growing, then all of great the words written are missing their intended mark. 

            There is nothing wrong with escaping from the harsh realities of this world. It can do our minds some good to withdraw and recharge. However, the enjoyment of one does not cancel out the need for the other. Grab a good book about serving the Lord.  I could recommend a few, in fact I have written a few myself. But this is not about me. It is about you, and the God who is calling you to gain a new perspective on his love, and a new desire to seek his face. Christian books are not a substitute for reading the Bible, but they are a great way to begin the process of seeking God.

            Here is a plan that every member of the body of Christ should embrace. Read all you want, but include one Christian book every month. Buy a book a month and suppprt Christian writers. Check out an author you have not read yet. Read a devotional, an inspirational book, or a teaching book.  There are Christian novels, Christ centered poetry books, and books that follow themes you will enjoy. The Christian book market is amazingly wide open. Every believer can find a book that will build him or her up in Christ. Grab a Christian book and get to know the God who has been seeking you all of your life.

Leaning In To Our Trials

            Kayaking is an amazing sport.  While it may look easy to do, it’s really not.  The kayak is long and narrow, and tipping is easy.  Experienced kayakers are able to tip their boat, and turn it back upright without any trouble.  Inexperienced kayakers, however, struggle when they tip. The natural tendency when tipping is to lean in the opposite direction in an attempt to straighten the kayak. Try this and you are guaranteed to end up drenched.  Leaning our upper body in the opposite direction forces our lower body into the tip.  Working against it, actually speeds up the process of tipping over.

           Experienced Kayakers know that leaning into the tip forces the lower body against the tipping kayak. This brings the kayak back toward center. The boater can even slap the face of the paddle onto the surface of the water, which will add force against the tipping boat. The principle to remember when trying to keep a kayak upright is to work with the tipping kayak, not against it.

            A spiritual trial is a lot like paddling a kayak.  Getting started is not that difficult, but when a cross current hits, we struggle.  When struggles come, we feel like we’re going to tip. The natural tendency is to lean away from the trial, to fight it, and stay as far away as possible.  However, God wants us to learn from our trials. He wants us to get stronger, and to learn to stay upright. The key to learning from a trial is to lean into it. Don’t fight it. Work with it. Though it seems counter intuitive, it is actually the only way to restore our spiritual journey.

            James wrote, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).   Leaning in is what brings the perfect results. Don’t fight your trials.  Work with them and you will gain endurance, and ultimately you will become perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Just Enough to Get By

            When working on a remodeling project, the average homeowner will accomplish just enough to get by.  We will put up the studs, do the electrical, hang the drywall, and even put in the carpet.  Invariably, however, the moldings will either sit in a pile, or be left leaning up against the wall where they should be attached. The reason this happens, is that we can live just fine without finishing the details. Once the major tasks are done and the room is livable, we move on to the next big thing.

            It is difficult to fully enjoy the beauty of a project if we ignore the details.  The moldings finish the room. Calking and grout make the tile project. Trim makes the house paint look good. Paying attention to detail is the key to a successful project.

            Many are those who simply get by on their spiritual journey. They take care of the basics in their salvation, but they do just enough to get by. However, (to borrow from another saying) the blessings are in the details. Prayer, Bible Study, joining a small group, and regular church attendance. These are the trimmings, which make our spiritual life more complete. Growing in Christ is found in the details.

            Is it any wonder that many Christians claim burnout, and become discouraged with their spiritual lives. They have ignored the details, leaving them in a pile in the corner of their spiritual room. They know what the scripture says about prayer, and Bible study. They understand that there are reasons for every aspect of a worship service, yet they fail to participate in parts of the service. They remain quiet during the music, let their mind wander during the sermon, and escape from the building just as soon as it is possible to do so.

            Finish the job. Put on those moldings, and do the little things that make your spiritual life complete. Don’t give up until the task is done and you hear the Lord say, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

Quiet Times

From the new book The Art of Worship, coming soon.

            Do a Bible word search on the term, “quiet time”.  It is not there, in any translation. Try “personal Bible study” in any concordance.  That phrase is not there either. There is no description for how to spend time in the word. Do we get up early, or stay up late? Should a journal be involved? How long is the correct investment of time? Does our one on one time with God have to be daily, or can it be every other day?

             Personal Bible Study may be one of the most guilt producing aspect of the Christian faith.  Listen to someone testify about getting up at 4:00 AM to spend an hour each day with the Lord, and some feel guilty that they are not morning people. Hear someone else describe spending evenings with the Lord, and another group feels guilt about having to spend their time with the children.  If someone equates reading the Bible with spirituality, there is yet another group that feels bad because they struggle to read a single sentence.

            There are no rules about spending time with God, and there should be no guilt associated with how you approach him. That being stated, Believers are not off the hook. Jesus said, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great” (Luke 6:46-49).

            The difference between a house built on the rock and one built on the sand is the strength of the substrate the house is built upon. The person in the sand house claims Jesus as his Lord. The issue is that they do not do what he says.  Why? Because they don’t know what he has said. All they know is what others have told them.

Tell me what you think about Bible Study