Since around 2001, I have been involved in promoting and selling good Christian books. When I have read excellent Christian and Reformed books, I often thought that these books were so good that they needed to be read by others.
There is power in the printed page. Of course this means the Bible as well, but when I refer to the printed page, this also includes excellent Christian books. The question for all of us then is, how can I promote good books? We need to grow as Christians beyond just thinking about ourselves and indulging ourselves only in good reading. How can we encourage others to grow in Christ through quality reading choices.
Sometimes in a conference good books may be offered at a good price and we need to think how perhaps we can give away books to other people, rather than only thinking about our own personal library or reading list.
Here are a few pointers, in order to grow in promoting good Christian books to others.
1. Pray about how you can grow in this area.
2. Recommend books to others verbally and do so with passion and enthusiasm.
3. If you are a pastor, have a quarterly book of month that your church sells. It is better to focus on one book than to have a table of books with a wide choice. We do not want a church book table to look like a jumble sale.
4. The best way for books to be bought and read is by a recommendation, especially publicly. Just ask Iain Murray or George Verwer, men who have moved more books than anyone I know.
5. Buy good books and give them away. Generosity is a Christian grace, one that we can all grow in.
"By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others" 2 Cor 9:13.
6. If you have access to Facebook or Twitter or another forum, including newsletters, use these to promote books. And dare I say do not use them to simply promote yourself!
I hope that in this small blogpost, that it can envision you to change the world through promoting, selling and giving away excellent Christian literature. Go to it and enjoy it!
Monday 30 April 2018
Wednesday 11 April 2018
"The God of Creation": a great new book by Richard D. Phillips
The God of Creation: Truth and Gospel in Genesis 1 (192 pages), published by Evangelical Press
There are other books on Creation and dealing with the issues of Genesis 1, but this one is different. Rick Phillips takes us through the first chapter of Genesis with an absolute confidence that this is the plain, accurate Word of God, describing creation in six literal days of 24 hours. He looks at the alternatives offered and explains clearly and simply why they are inadequate. The science-based criticisms of the Word of God are considered and dealt with. The language used is accessible to most readers, and at each stage the Gospel is clearly explained.
Christians generally will find this book a great encouragement amidst the deluge of pro-evolution propaganda, school students will find themselves strengthened to take a biblical stand against the pressures of the education system. If your evangelistic outreach leads you to someone who wants a clear and rational explanation of why the Bible should believed over against the common understanding of evolution presented in the media, this is the book to give them.
Richard Davis Phillips has been the Senior Minister of Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina (PCA) since July, 2007. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan, and a master of business administration degree at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. Prior to entering the ministry, he commanded tank units as an officer in the U.S. Army and later served as an assistant professor of leadership at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He came to faith in Jesus Christ at the age of 30, and was soon was leading evangelistic Bible studies at the college where he was teaching. A few years later he received God’s call to enter the gospel ministry, and received a master of divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA.
There are other books on Creation and dealing with the issues of Genesis 1, but this one is different. Rick Phillips takes us through the first chapter of Genesis with an absolute confidence that this is the plain, accurate Word of God, describing creation in six literal days of 24 hours. He looks at the alternatives offered and explains clearly and simply why they are inadequate. The science-based criticisms of the Word of God are considered and dealt with. The language used is accessible to most readers, and at each stage the Gospel is clearly explained.
Christians generally will find this book a great encouragement amidst the deluge of pro-evolution propaganda, school students will find themselves strengthened to take a biblical stand against the pressures of the education system. If your evangelistic outreach leads you to someone who wants a clear and rational explanation of why the Bible should believed over against the common understanding of evolution presented in the media, this is the book to give them.
Richard Davis Phillips has been the Senior Minister of Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina (PCA) since July, 2007. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan, and a master of business administration degree at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. Prior to entering the ministry, he commanded tank units as an officer in the U.S. Army and later served as an assistant professor of leadership at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He came to faith in Jesus Christ at the age of 30, and was soon was leading evangelistic Bible studies at the college where he was teaching. A few years later he received God’s call to enter the gospel ministry, and received a master of divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA.
Monday 9 April 2018
"The Earth Hangs on Nothing"
I hope that this blog post will be pastorally encouraging. Several thousand years ago Job wrote this in chapter 26:7 "He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing". Isaiah in 40:22-23 under the direction of the Holy Spirit declared the earth to be round though many people thought it was flat for a long time.
"It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness".
I was reading a book by a man called Charlie Duke who walked on the moon on the Apollo 16 space mission. Afterwards he became a Christian and he has travelled all over the place to testify to the gospel and he lets people know that the earth looks beautiful against the blackness of space. Our God created all of this!
You can check out Charlie's testimony by visiting YouTube.
Charlie Duke is from Lancaster South Carolina and his book pointed me to Job 26:7. What a magnificent truth that the earth hangs on nothing and yet it fulfils its perfect circuit year after year being upheld by God's word and power. If the Lord upholds the earth by hanging it upon nothing, how much more our lives and the details of our lives.
My grandma always wanted to go to the moon and obviously she did not. Otherwise you would have heard of her. When she was 74 she heard Charlie Duke give his testimony and she gave her life to Jesus Christ. Who could have arranged that providence for my grandma, except the Lord who holds all things together?
"It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness".
I was reading a book by a man called Charlie Duke who walked on the moon on the Apollo 16 space mission. Afterwards he became a Christian and he has travelled all over the place to testify to the gospel and he lets people know that the earth looks beautiful against the blackness of space. Our God created all of this!
You can check out Charlie's testimony by visiting YouTube.
Charlie Duke is from Lancaster South Carolina and his book pointed me to Job 26:7. What a magnificent truth that the earth hangs on nothing and yet it fulfils its perfect circuit year after year being upheld by God's word and power. If the Lord upholds the earth by hanging it upon nothing, how much more our lives and the details of our lives.
My grandma always wanted to go to the moon and obviously she did not. Otherwise you would have heard of her. When she was 74 she heard Charlie Duke give his testimony and she gave her life to Jesus Christ. Who could have arranged that providence for my grandma, except the Lord who holds all things together?
Monday 2 April 2018
The Westminster Standards in Modern English
Mark 12:37 "And the common people heard him [Jesus of Nazareth] gladly" (NKJV).
Why is this project so exciting in my view? It is very important that sound theology is placed into the hands of church members. It is never enough for ministers and elders to have a delight in and an access to, sound doctrine and not the wider church also. This could potentially produce a new form of clericalism where the leaders have additional "inside knowledge" if truth did not get disseminated into the pew, as it were. Paul the apostle wrote to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 4:2 "But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God".
Did you notice the phrase "by the open statement of the truth"? It is vital that Christians can have access to the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Two Catechisms in plain English and in a format that is easily readable; this is what this paperback without the essays provides. We want children as well as parents to have a copy of the Westminster Standards in Modern English in this paperback version. This new publication by Evangelical Press should serve the church well. It does not tamper with the original text produced by the Westminster Assembly except to change antiquated English phrases with understood words.
It includes no revisions at all,but where difficult words are found we have included square brackets occasionally with the modern English equivalent. Here is short quiz for lovers of words. Can you guess what these ancient words mean which are found in the Westminster Standards: Vouchsafes, supererogate; contemn,
oblation; keeping of stews. They mean: promises; go beyond duty; disdain; offering; and keeping of brothels. This updating of language should “iron-out some wrinkles” and enhance their usability.
Our denomination (www.epcew.org.uk) have a church in Berlin and they are now working hard to publish the Westminster Standards in modern German. Again, these documents are the property of the whole church and such a work of the Holy Spirit to widely distribute them, can only serve to strengthen the church in the years ahead. The previous blog post gives an indication of prices of this book, but let us continue in steadfast and expectant prayer for the establishment of sound doctrine in the English speaking world.
Why is this project so exciting in my view? It is very important that sound theology is placed into the hands of church members. It is never enough for ministers and elders to have a delight in and an access to, sound doctrine and not the wider church also. This could potentially produce a new form of clericalism where the leaders have additional "inside knowledge" if truth did not get disseminated into the pew, as it were. Paul the apostle wrote to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 4:2 "But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God".
Did you notice the phrase "by the open statement of the truth"? It is vital that Christians can have access to the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Two Catechisms in plain English and in a format that is easily readable; this is what this paperback without the essays provides. We want children as well as parents to have a copy of the Westminster Standards in Modern English in this paperback version. This new publication by Evangelical Press should serve the church well. It does not tamper with the original text produced by the Westminster Assembly except to change antiquated English phrases with understood words.
It includes no revisions at all,but where difficult words are found we have included square brackets occasionally with the modern English equivalent. Here is short quiz for lovers of words. Can you guess what these ancient words mean which are found in the Westminster Standards: Vouchsafes, supererogate; contemn,
oblation; keeping of stews. They mean: promises; go beyond duty; disdain; offering; and keeping of brothels. This updating of language should “iron-out some wrinkles” and enhance their usability.
Our denomination (www.epcew.org.uk) have a church in Berlin and they are now working hard to publish the Westminster Standards in modern German. Again, these documents are the property of the whole church and such a work of the Holy Spirit to widely distribute them, can only serve to strengthen the church in the years ahead. The previous blog post gives an indication of prices of this book, but let us continue in steadfast and expectant prayer for the establishment of sound doctrine in the English speaking world.
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