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Fresh  Galatians  Joshua

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Luther

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Mistaken Identity "Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope" - Don & Susie Van Ryn and Newell, Colleen and Whitney Cerak with Mark Tabb ISBN 978-1-84737-382-3

 I first heard this story while watching the Oprah Winfrey Show at the end of a busy week and was amazed at the witness being broadcast on American network television. Both of the families spoke of our loving God, the support from others to meet all of their needs and how God had used their situations to bring others to Christ. Through their witness, the wonders of television and the internet many millions have heard their story and love of God. The book begins with a mother being told that after 5 weeks (and a funeral) in a phone call from a hospital chaplain that the hospital think her daughter is alive. The book is written by the families of two girls who attended university together, love God and support others through his love.

I don't want to tell you too much, as this may spoil the book for you. However, if you ever wondered about how God can work through tragedy, how much your Christian love, support and prayers can matter to others this is worth reading.

It is not a theological book, it is not a reference book for any study, it is a book to encourage us that God can use all situations to his Glory and to bring lost souls to him. If you would like to borrow my copy you are welcome.

Brenda

             I think that ‘fresh’ is a brilliant book. It helpfully addresses many of the issues which will face Christians going to university. Although the target audience is clearly those who have just begun university (freshers) it could also be a great help to people at any stage of university or those who have contact with people going away. This book will help you be more aware of the challenges and opportunities which occur in 21st century British universities. The book splits itself into 5 sections with 7 subsections in each. The idea is that a fresher reads 1 subsection a day for the first 5 weeks of university.

The first section is entitled ‘Faith’ and talks, in fairly basic terms, about what it means to have faith in God. This begins with a challenge to commit yourself to God (a prayer of commitment is included for those who have never truly trusted in Jesus) before moving on to encourage the believer to; be realistic about the cost of following Jesus, examine why Christianity can be believed and keep growing.

            The second section is entitled ‘Relationships’ and deals with helpful advice regarding our relationships with God, friends and family, boyfriend/girlfriend, church, CU and university. Perhaps the most significant theme in this is the call for students to take seriously their responsibilities to the people around them. Many students feel that university is the one place and one time when they have no responsibilities and can effectively live as they want. Reminding them that they continue to have responsibilities not only to God but to a whole host of people (including their parents) will help them not only to survive as a Christian but also to grow.

            The third section is about evangelism and encourages the student to view university as a mission field. God loves people being saved and university offers unique opportunities to share your faith with people from different countries, cultures and backgrounds. Krish’s acknowledgement that words play an essential part in evangelism is well made (if somewhat unfashionable) although I would question the emphasis he places on using your own life story in evangelism. Everybody has a story but we have the word of God.

            The fourth section deals with the realm of study and is the weakest of the 5 sections. Stating clear biblical guidelines about how we study proves difficult and so the advice becomes less clear and convincing. However, his warnings against laziness need to be taken seriously by Christian students as does his statement that university is not about gaining a first but honouring God. Kandiah’s encouragement for students to take 1 day off a week is well overdue in a culture where essays and exams are seen as acceptable excuses for neglecting church and more generally one’s spiritual welfare.

            The fifth section is entitled ‘Holiness’ and discusses distinctive living in a number of different areas including sex and money. This section contains some helpful advice and acknowledges that there is no easy way to make decisions at university. This section ends with a reminder that however much we might mess up forgiveness, cleansing and transformation is always available.

            Having spent 3 difficult years at university in the not too distant past the question I repeatedly asked myself when reading this book was ‘Would ‘fresh’ have helped me live a more godly life at university?’ The answer I have repeatedly come up with is yes. The content is relevant, well thought through and easy to apply to your student life. Each section begins by suggesting some challenges you could take up while at university. Whist normally sceptical about these sorts of challenges Krish manages to suggest challenges which are not only eminently doable but also likely to build you, and others, up.

One piece of advice for anyone reading this book is that it must not be viewed as a manual on how to live as a Christian at university. Some of the situations he mentions will come up, others will not. Sometimes the approach he suggests will be helpful, sometimes it will not. Although this book can at times read like a manual it is important that you don’t treat it like one. If you try to follow this book by the letter you will end up burnt out, confused and probably slightly insane. However, Kandiah’s biblical approach seasoned with experience, wisdom and common sense would be a great help to anyone serious about pursuing a godly life at university!

Ben

Joshua – No Falling Words Dale Ralph Davis Christian Focus No. Pages        204 ISBN               185792-602-1

 What a great book! It’s a well know fact that preachers love commentaries but what a joy to find one that is not only faithful to the text but also full of great illustrations, practical challenges and contemporary language. The “Focus on the Bible” series is already finding an enthusiastic readership and this latest edition will only help to confirm the conclusion that this is a very worthwhile set.

 Dale Ralph Davis is Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson USA and his enthusiasm for Old Testament themes and ideas is evident right the way through this volume. But don’t be fooled into thinking this is a dry and irrelevant trip into Jewish history, this book brings Joshua, and the events surrounding his life, sharply into focus making you reassess and rethink this familiar Sunday School stories. Not only does he look at the overall sweep and intent of the passages he also does a great job of applying it to God’s people today. His challenges to faith, obedience and courage are well said and thought provoking.

  This is not a technical commentary, nor is it designed to be, but for preparation for teaching and preaching or for personal devotion and enrichment this is a great addition to any library. Do buy it and read it, you won’t be sorry.

Paul

 There are some commentaries that can be read straight through like any other book, there are others that are so technical that it is difficult to read more than a paragraph without feeling in need of a rest. I would consider this is neither. But I don't mention that as a failing in this book.

Like most of the other Geneva series of commentaries this one is a reprint of an earlier work by one of our distinguished Christian predecessors. John Brown was only one of a line of such named worthies and pastored three churches, one in Biggar and the other two in Edinburgh during the first half of the nineteenth century. During his last pastorate he also served as Professor of Exegetical Theology where he maintained the highest regard for and pursuit of Theology derived from God's word.

As I understand it John Brown's commentaries and method of teaching marked a real step forward in teaching the Bible, certainly in Scotland and England and marked a return to the sort of Biblical expositions that John Calvin produced. Dr Brown’s attention to the text is clear and he restrains himself from unhelpful digression. He interacts with theories and discoveries of his day and also provides some very good and challenging applications throughout. Footnotes contain most of the references to Greek or Latin, which is helpful for those who can read it and does not distract for those who cannot.

Who is this commentary for?

Well, I would suggest that this is not the first commentary you should read on Galatians as there are a number of fine, simpler books available. But for anyone who wants to look a little further without getting too technical then this is certainly worth having.

I am glad to have it on my shelf, and not just because it looks good with the rest of the Geneva series! but because Dr Browns blend of careful expounding of the text and helpful application makes this a worthy commentary.

Paul

The life story of Martin Luther (Joseph Fiennes) give us an account of the events in the 1500s and the struggles between the Roman Catholic Church and the German nation. It is at times brutal and graphic and I wonder if some of the characters are a little more colourful than perhaps they were in real life but having said that it is still a great film to watch and very inspiring. If you know nothing about Luther then this is a good place to start.

Paul