"Loving Your Adult Children" (Gaye B. Clark)

TITLE: Loving Your Adult Children: The Heartache of Parenting and the Hope of the Gospel
AUTHOR: Gaye B. Clark
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2024, (176 pages).

Parenting is a life-long endeavour. Even though the means change over time, the nature of parental love will remain. When the children are dependants, parents take responsibility for them. Once they become adults, the way parents care for them will also have to change. As a parent myself, I often tell my friends that parenting is like flying a kite. When they are young, we hang on tightly when dangerous winds try to blow them off-course. As they grow older, we loosen our grip so that they can learn how to make their own decisions. Eventually, we need to let go of the kite completely as they embark upon the journey of adulthood. As the children become adults, the way parents love them will have to change accordingly. For author Gaye Clark, the primary goal of Christian parenting is to teach children to place their hopes in life on God alone through Jesus's finished work. When the children are young, parents pay and pray for their daily needs. When they become adults and become independent, parents can continue to love them by praying for them. Besides that, Clark shows us even more ways to love them. Putting first things first, if we want our children to have faith in God alone, we need to practice what we are going to preach. The way to love our children is essentially to lead by example. We do this through the practice of faith, repentance, grace, hope, Church, patience, Goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, Self-Control, Peace, and Love.

"Practices for Embodied Living: Experiencing the Wisdom of Your Body" (Hilary L. McBride)

TITLE: Practices for Embodied Living: Experiencing the Wisdom of Your Body 
AUTHOR: Hillary L. McBride
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2024, (160 pages).

Our experiences do not define us. Our real selves do. Our bodies are not simply what we have but they are who we are. We are more than mere subjective people. We are valued for who we are and not what we do. All that we encounter in this life, the highs and the lows, can all be experienced in the very bodies we have. Unfortunately, many people still have not learned how to appreciate their bodies. In doing so, they fall victim to lies and myths that throw negativity to their physique or biological selves. Lies such as the need to subdue our bodies because they are inherently evil; that some bodies are better than others, or fat bodies are unhealthy, etc. As our bodies get devalued, we become disembodied beings. Disembodiment separates our physical selves from the rest of our mental and emotional faculties. Embodiment brings all of them together. More importantly, we are called not to learn or relearn what our bodies are or represent. We simply need to remember that. These and many more underline the premise of this book, which is to bring back a healthy appreciation of the bodies we have so that we can live well. This also means we need to see personhood in a holistic manner: Emotionally, Mentally, Physically, Socially, and even Spiritually. Besides helping us address lies we tell ourselves, this book also looks at the violence on our bodies, such as stress and trauma; illnesses, injuries, and pain; oppressive forces; self-esteem; etc. 

"Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God" (Gordon D. Fee)

TITLE: Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God
AUTHOR: Gordon D. Fee
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023, (240 pages).
 

The Holy Spirit is God's Empowering Presence. Paul teaches and lives it. He urges the people of God to do the same. How do we not only learn more about the Holy Spirit? Is it possible to experience the presence of the Holy Spirit, maybe like what the Early Church had experienced? Perhaps, before we move into the actual application, we need to learn more about the continuity and discontinuity gap between the Old and New Covenant. Recognizing the struggles to link these two important truths, well-respected professor, Dr. Gordon Fee has written his Magnus opus on the Holy Spirit from the perspective of Pauline theology. From Paul's window into the Holy Spirit, he draws out the connection between what Paul says and what we experience in our present life in Christ, before extending it to the relevance of the Holy Spirit's work in the lives of the Church. For that to happen, we need to draw a series of connections between the past and the present. This includes relationships between:

• Understanding and experiencing the Theology of the Holy Spirit;
• The old covenant and the new;
• The Individual and the Community;
• Present and Future
• Soteriology and Eschatology;
• Conversion to Covenant;
• and more...

"Josey Johnson's Hair and the Holy Spirit" (Esau McCaulley)

TITLE: Josey Johnson's Hair and the Holy Spirit
AUTHOR: Esau McCaulley, with LaTonya Jackson as Illustrator
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2022, (32 pages).
 

What has a little girl's hair got to do with the Holy Spirit? Readers might find that intriguing but with patience and openness, one would quickly connect the dots and see many themes important for today. Josey Johnson is a little girl who loves her hair. Some days, she would have it braided while other days she would prefer pigtails or curly afros. Some days, it seems like her hair could very much take a life of its own! Like many young Church-going families, Josey goes to Church every Sunday morning with her parents. She would dress well for the occasion, but for that Sunday, it was a special occasion: Pentecost Sunday! Gradually, the author connects the different types of hair, the diversity of people gathered, and the meaning of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit comes. There are several themes that the author put out that readers (and children) could pick up quickly. The key theme would be the celebration of diversity, just like the Holy Spirit who gave different gifts to different people. When the Holy Spirit comes, He unites people from all walks of life, starting with believers. 

"Character Matters" (Aaron Menikoff)

TITLE: Character Matters: Shepherding in the Fruit of the Spirit
AUTHOR: Aaron Menikoff
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2020, (208 pages).

A ministry not marked by the fruit of the Spirit is doomed to fail, if not sooner than later. Most people who read the Galatians 5 passage would readily apply it generally to the Christian life. For author Aaron Menikoff, he specifically applies it to ministry leaders such as pastors and church leaders. More specifically, this book is about pastoral sanctification. They should model such a process of fruit-bearing for the people they shepherd, and to be an example of abiding in Christ and becoming more Christlike. The way to do so is to work through the fruit of the Spirit one by one, which is exactly what this book is about. Character matters enough for any leader or believer to do something about it. For the sake of the kingdom. Menikoff says it well, that "abiding in Christ isn’t just about becoming a Christian; it’s about growing as a Christian. Spiritual fruit is the believer’s sanctification." When working through the nine virtues in Galatians 5:22-23, we are reminded that they are meant to lead us along a path, and are not meant to be an end in itself. The goal is holiness. Along the way we need to deal with our own blind spots. The first is the misplaced notion of self-importance that corrupts what God's love is all about. Good sermons do not replace the need to love people.

"Spiritual Gifts" (Thomas R. Schreiner)

TITLE: Spiritual Gifts: What They Are and Why They Matter
AUTHOR: Thomas R. Schreiner
PUBLISHER: Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2018, (192 pages).

Spiritual gifts are important for us, individually as well as for the  Church. While there are different interpretations of what they are and how they are used, the general agreement is that they are from God and are used for the edification of the body of Christ. Unfortunately, many churches and believers have unwittingly allowed their differences and interpretations get in the way of seeing the bigger picture of what spiritual gifts are essentially about. What are the essential and non-essential aspects of spiritual gifts? How do we disagree without tearing our communities apart? In this book, author Thomas Schreiner deals with one of the most contentious gifts in the history of the Church: What about the gifts of apostle, prophets, and tongues? Have they ceased? Schreiner argues from a "nuanced cessationism" perspective. Healing and miracles still exist but are increasingly rare because all we need are in the revealed Scriptures already. More importantly, he wants us to focus more on the "nuancing" rather than the "ceasing." For once we understand the nuances, we will understand why he is arguing for the cessation perspective.

"Spirit-Led Heart" (Suzanne Eller)

TITLE: The Spirit-Led Heart: Living a Life of Love and Faith without Borders
AUTHOR: Suzanne Eller
PUBLISHER: Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2018, (208 pages).

What does it take to have a heart that is Spirit-led instead of self-led? In a world where Christianity is increasingly seen with disdain, and even Christians seem to feel God is far away from them, we need guidance from time to time regarding things of faith. Jesus has promised us the Holy Spirit coming to us. Even when we feel God is far away from us, we cannot let feelings dictate reality. Just like the presence of the sun. Just because we are in a dark room does not mean the sun is not out there. We need guidance to sense the presence of God in more ways than one. This book is one resource to help us do just that. In addressing each emotion that arises out of fear, weakness, and a sense of insecurity, Eller helps put things in perspective to help us recognize that God is Sovereign and He is in control. We need to trust His leading. Spurred by the prayer of her friend, Jennifer Dukes Lee, she feels a sense of relief and is released to trust God more. From uncertainty and self-doubt, she seeks out faith in God via a promise from God. Instead of relying on our own power, we learn that the Spirit-led heart is empowered by God for the greater good and purpose. Our lives are not defined by opinions or mass appeal but by truth alone. She shows us the lies that we often fall prey into and replaces them with truth; with direction; and with boldness. I like the way she describes Spirit-led direction.

"Pentecostal Outpourings" (various authors)

TITLE: Pentecostal Outpourings: Revival and the Reformed Tradition
EDITORS: Robert Davis Smart, Michael A. G. Haykin, and Ian Hugh Clary
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2016, (280 pages).

The timing of release for this book couldn't have been more apt. For the Sunday (May 15th, 2016) is Pentecostal Sunday! Most resources and materials are produced by Pentecostal and Charismatic circles, and given the title of this book, it may appear that this too is another book published by the same. No. It is in fact about revival from a Reformed Perspective. In the tradition of the late Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the authors are convicted that the Holy Spirit is the reason for revival. This work of grace from heaven is much needed for this age and every age. Through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, people will not only know and experience God at a deeper level, they would also be spurred on to good works. The three emphases in this book is about increasing the knowledge of God, spreading the gospel of Christ, and experiencing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It is also an apt preparation for Trinity Sunday following Pentecost Sunday.

What makes this book even more interesting is the multiple flavours of Reformed views that bring out the beauty, the unique perspectives, and the many different ways the Holy Spirit works. In the British Isles, Eifion Evans looks at "Welsh Calvinistic Methodism and Revival" where preaching and teaching are Spirit-inspired rather than preaching revived; that reformation is about God bringing about purity and power of His Truth to Christianity. This comes about through Spirit-inspired teaching. Ian Hugh Clary describes the Irish Revival, in particular two Ulster revivals and the Irish Dissent. The 1625 Six Mile Water Revival occurred along the river that runs through the towns of Ballynure, Ballycare, Templepatrick, and Antrim. Lesser known preachers were used mightily by God to spread the gospel. The Methodists and Baptists in 18th Century Ireland also had their revivals. The second Ulster revival in 1859 came about after the Great Famine. Like many forms of revival, it has prayer meetings as foundational to waiting on God. The revivals were unplanned and came about after long periods of prayer and waiting. Michael A. G. Haykin describes the revival in the early 1640s on the Calvinistic Baptists which grew from 7 congregations in 1644 to around 300 by 1689! He describes the rise and influence of Andrew Fuller, John Sutcliff, and A Coda whose heavy dependence on prayer and preaching in the power of the Spirit led to a revival in Baptist circles. Iain D. Campbell looks at the Presbyterian revival in Scotland and points out three different perspectives of Scottish revivalism: Historiographical; Social; and Denominational; before concluding with four lessons about the sovereignty of God; the supernatural work of God; our role as servants; and recognizing that revivals are not the only means God can bring about the renewal of the Church. It is the beauty of the gospel in itself that should be the purpose of our endeavours.

"Strange Fire" (John MacArthur)

TITLE: Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship
AUTHOR: John MacArthur
PUBLISHER: Nashville, TN: Thomas-Nelson, 2013, (352 pages)

What exactly is strange fire? What makes worship a counterfeit one? In what ways can the Holy Spirit be offended? According to author John MacArthur, he targets the Pentecostal and Charismatic movement as the culprit for a lot of things. He lumps all three waves: the classical Pentecost; the Charismatic Renewal; and the Third Wave all together. First, on classical Pentecostalism, he blames Charles Parham as the source of the four marks of Pentecostalism: salvation; baptism; healing; expecting Christ's second coming. He is adamant that Parham is the source of false teachings about the Holy Spirit, pointing out several deficiencies in Parham's character and track records, failed prophecies and the misleading of many believers into error. Second, he blames EW Kenyon for the rise of Charismatic Renewal which essentially puts experience above all, and using gibberish languages that are nothing near the tongues of the Bible. Third, he says that the Third Wave is even more "devastating" because it infiltrates churches at large. Pointing a finger at Peter Wagner, efforts to restore apostolic offices is actually a disguised way to grab power and authority over others.

MacArthur spends two-thirds of this book to confront the counterfeit revivals and to expose the counterfeit gifts. Using selected examples of abuses of apostolic authority, the trickery of the prosperity gospel, the many moral failures of some prominent Pentecostal ministers, and how people fake healings and gifts, MacArthur does not mince his words, reserving his heaviest artillery on people like Benny Hinn, Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Charles Parham, among others. He even makes a reference to a Wikipedia article that lists the "fifty well-known, publicly disgraced church leaders." I don't know about you but quoting from Wikipedia is not exactly wrong, but it is poor scholarship. He then leads readers through the different ways to identify the gifts and work of the Spirit. This is among the most commendable part of the book, and bears a powerful witness to MacArthur's biblical knowledge and theological grasp. Unfortunately, the way that he applies these knowledge to the Charismatic movement is at best over-generalizing and at worst condemning well-intentioned and genuine believers touched and moved by the Holy Spirit. The examples that he had explicitly named are also likely to be shunned by a lot of my charismatic friends. Benny Hinn for example is not as widely accepted as what MacArthur has rebuked him to be. In other words, many of my Charismatic and Pentecostal friends will also avoid people like Benny Hinn, the excesses of prosperity theology, and the fraud healers.