No matter how many homiletic courses taken and sermons delivered, preachers are always looking to improve their sermons. Many times the pastor leaves the pulpit on Sunday and although many hours of prayer and study went into sermon preparation, he or she is not satisfied with the results.

One pastor commented, “We pray and study all week then when we stand behind the pulpit to proclaim God’s Holy Word we fumble and bumble.”

Although the minister’s library has many preaching titles they are always on the lookout for newly published books on the subject.

Preaching Points: 55 Tips For Improving Your Pulpit Ministry will be a welcome addition to a pastor’s already voluminous library.

This book contains nuggets of wonderful insights that will help the pastor in sermon preparation.

Preaching Points is written by professors of homiletics at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the Haddon W. Robinson Center for Preaching at the seminary.

The contributors are respected professors of preaching including, The late Haddon W. Robinson, Jeffrey D. Arthurs, Patricia M. Batten, Scott M. Gibson (editor), and Matthew D. Kim.

Regarding clarity, Gibson writes, “The preacher has the responsibility to be clear to his or her listeners. If there were to be an eleventh commandment given to preachers it probably would be “Be clear”! (p.1)

The late Dr. Howard Hendricks, who taught at Dallas Theological Seminary supports this point about being clear by saying, “A mist in the pulpit puts a fog in the pews.”[1]

Obviously, it is important to be clear, but what is the Big Idea?

Professor Robinson states the following:

We talk about the Big Idea at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. The Big Idea is the dominant idea in your sermon. It’s made up by asking two questions: First, what is the author talking about? And second, what is the author saying about what he is talking about? (p. 3)

In his book, Biblical Preaching, Robinson devotes an entire chapter to the Big Idea. Clearly, this is an important part of sermon preparation and it behooves the pastor to heed his advice.

The Preaching Points listed in the book will certainly help the preacher to stay on track and keep the attention of his or her listeners. Outstanding chapters of note are: Sermon preparation is twenty hours of prayer; Feed my lambs, not my giraffes; In our preaching, less is more; Praise your listeners before correcting them; and Strengthen yourself in the Lord.

Although the preacher may be very familiar with the text and may have preached from it many times before, they should still soak themselves in the text.

One pastor who knows the importance of soaking oneself in the text shared that he reads his text 100 times.

The book does not provide notes or a bibliography, however, the experience of these leading scholars make up for it. Several books on preaching have been written by the contributors to this book.

The material shared is invaluable for sermon preparation. They are a fountain of information to assist the pastor in fulfilling Paul’s exhortation to pastors to “Preach the Word.”

This book may not be mentioned on lists of the best books for preachers, however, it will benefit the preacher to purchase a copy. It is a very easy read and very well-written. Grab your highlighter, you will want to return here many times to be refreshed.

Reviewed by Larry Russi

Publisher’s page: https://lexhampress.com/product/153980/preaching-points-55-tips-for-improving-your-pulpit-ministry

Notes

[1] “A Fog in the Pews” Moreland First Baptist Church

He has been called a boring windbag who “…deliberately sets out to be tortuous.”[1] Philip Yancy acknowledges that at times his writings have perplexed him.[2]

They are speaking about the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, whom many have call the Father of Existentialism, although he did not coin the term.

In his book, Philosophy & The Christian Faith, Colin Brown writes that “Kierkegaard deliberately sets out to be tortuous and…in order to bring his reader to the desired goal, Kierkegaard often found it necessary to be devious.”[3]

The author of over 35 books, Soren Kierkegaard’s (1813-1855) writings were mostly ignored outside of his native Denmark until the 20th century.

Anna Louise Strelis Söderquist, St. Olaf College curator of the Hong Kierkegaard Library argues that “Kierkegaard’s work still has burning relevance for us today, wherever we live and whatever our backgrounds, for he meets his reader in the inner depths, where reside the personal, yet universal questions about who one is and how one ought to live.”[4]

Kierkegaard (1813-1855) was a devout Christian who was grieved over the condition of the Lutheran church in Denmark, the State Church.

Shelley O’Hara writes, “Kierkegaard was incensed by the lack of involvement it took to be a Christian, and he felt that Official Christianity or Christendom had departed so far from the New Testament teachings that it needed to be torn down and rebuilt…Kierkegaard…was not attacking the teachings of Christianity, but the official way it was sanctioned and carried out by the Lutheran Church at the time.”[5]

His anger was so great toward the Lutheran Church he refused communion while on his death bed.

If you have read or attempted to read Kierkegaard you know that he can be a difficult read and one may wonder if it would be beneficial to read his works.

One would benefit greatly by reading Lee C. Barrett’s (PhD, Yale) instructive book Kierkegaard as Theologian. As Professor of Theology, at Lancaster Theological Seminary at Moravian University, he has written extensively on Kierkegaard including several books and articles.

What makes this book so instructive and helpful, especially for those new to the philosopher’s writings? Before reading selections from Kierkegaard, Barrett summarizes the text in great detail, making Kierkegaard’s writings much easier to understand.

The texts that Barrett’s comments on are several of Kierkegaard’s more familiar writings, including For Self-Examination, Judge For Yourself, Either/Or, The Sickness Unto Death, and Fear and Trembling, among others.

He also explains Kierkegaard’s theological style:

Kierkegaard’s work as an exercise in theology requires some explanation and justification, for Kierkegaard’s writings do not resemble anything remotely like a collection of standard theological texts. If he counts as a theologian at all, he certainly was not a typical one.[6]

At the end of every chapter Barrett supplies questions for reflection, which may prove helpful to readers as they digest and savor what both Kierkegaard and Barrett are saying. It is certainly not a book to rush through.

Barrett’s book simply titled Kierkegaard (Abingdon Press) is another helpful read to understanding Kierkegaard’s writings.

Reviewed by Larry Russi

Publisher’s page: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/tt-clark-reader-in-kierkegaard-as-theologian-9780567670373/

Notes

[1] Colin Brown, Philosophy & The Christian Faith (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press,1968),125

[2] Søren Kierkegaard, Provocations: Spiritual Writings of Kierkegaard (Farmington, PA: The Plough Publishing House, 1999, back cover

[3] Colin Brown, Philosophy & The Christian Faith (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press,1968),125

[4] Claire Strother, “A World-Renowned Center for the Study of Kierkegaard” St. Olaf Magazine (Spring/Summer 2022), 23.

[5] Shelley O’Hara, Kierkegaard Within Your Grasp (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2004), 6

[6]Lee C. Barrett, ed. T & T Clark Reader in Kierkegaard as Theologian (NY: Bloomsbury, 2018), 1

On March 11, 2020, The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Overnight the world stopped and changed, perhaps forever. Wearing a mask became a part of our daily wardrobe. People were wondering if and when things would get back to normal. Fear gripped people throughout the world. Suicide rates, fortunately, have not increased, however, certain groups of people were more vulnerable during the pandemic. There have been travel bans and some countries are still in a nation-wide or partial lock down and people are dying daily.

Since the beginning of the pandemic Christians on social media have bombarded us with gluts of videos, news clips, and stories that these are the last days before the return of Christ.

Dr. Michael L. Brown (PhD, New York University) addresses all these scenarios in this small, but relevant book by offering a sound biblically-based and a level-headed approach to these unprecedented times.

The subtitle of the book is appropriately titled: “Words of Hope, Faith, and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis.”

He admits that He doesn’t know the origin of the virus (as well as many medical experts), but dismisses the opinions of many who say that we are at the end of the age. In fact, one chapter titled, “This is Not the End of the World,” deals with this subject, which should give peace to his readers.

More than a year has passed since COVID-19 hit the world with such intensity. Vaccines have been developed and there is now talk of the need of a booster shot. The number of cases has dropped considerably. Unfortunately, a Delta variant of COVID-19 has spread throughout the world, but as Brown writes:

what is clear to me is that we should not view the coronavirus as a prophesied end-time plague. Instead, we should view it in the same way we have viewed many other epidemics and pandemics in world history. They are tragic reminders of the broken state of our world and of the frailty of our race.

He begins the chapter Psalm 91: “Living In the Hiding Place of the Most High,” by writing the following:

you may be reading this book one year later, or five years later, when the challenges we face are very different. And yet all of us, in all times and all places, need to take hold of the holy reality of Psalm 91 since we live in a dangerous world filled with demons, diseases, and death.

A question that he poses to the church: Do we give in to fear or place our faith in the true and living God?

For a book that was written in a week, Brown covers much ground on both spiritual and secular matters. It is well-balanced and reminds us that no matter what comes our way we must trust in the Lord and not give in to fear. There are uncertainties, as Brown points out, but the Lord is in control.

If you are in need of comfort in these troubling and uncertain times it would be beneficial to read this book written by a respected Bible teacher and commentator.

Reviewed by Larry Russi

Deception has seeped into the church since its founding and it seems to be intensifying as we get closer to the Lord’s return.

For example, at the time that this review was being written a church that calls itself Pentecostal has added a psychic medium to their staff who claims to commune with the dead.

When the disciples asked Jesus what would be the sign of His coming and the end of the age, he immediately replied to watch that no one deceives you. In three more verses in Matthew 24, Jesus mentions the word deceive.

Not only did the Lord give warnings about deception, but Paul, Peter, and Jude wrote much on this subject.

In this well-documented and well-researched book, Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt (D. Min. Regent University) writes a compelling treatise on deception, which the Bible says will be prevalent in the latter days.

Taking the scriptures to heart, Hyatt sounds an alarm. Believers need to be serious about not falling into deception.

When reading this small, but powerful work, one gets the feeling that the author is grieved at the deception, from the flesh and from the devil, that has infiltrated the church. He is greatly concerned that there is such a great fascination with miracles and a lack of discernment by many modern charismatics. He wonders if many will embrace the Antichrist who will come with his signs, wonders, and false miracles. Hyatt presents a number of ways that we can test the spirits to see if they are indeed of God.

In the third chapter, Hyatt provides five warning signs from a document entitled “Confessions” written around 1560 by Anabaptist leader, Obe Philips, to show how a prophetic movement can go astray. He believes that the material in this paper is very important as it contains information that will help us avoid tragic mistakes, which can be detrimental to the believer and a move of God.

All five are very important, but two stand out. Warning sign #1: “When Prophecy is Used to Enhance the Status of a Movement or an Individual.” Hyatt reminds us that “Satan plays on human ego and pride” and that we must humble ourselves before the Lord. He makes an important point by writing that the ultimate goal of prophecy is to point people to Jesus.

Warning sign #5: “When Prophecy Becomes a Replacement for the Scriptures and Common Sense.” Hyatt stresses the importance of the guidance of God’s Word, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). He also quotes Methodist leader John Wesley as one “who saw many unusual spiritual manifestations” and who said, “Try all things by the written word, and let all bow down before it.”

An article in the August/September 2016 issue of Philosophy Now asks, “Is Kierkegaard Still Relevant Today?”[1] Author Mark A. Tietjen, who teaches at the Stony Brook School in New York and is the author of Kierkegaard, Communication, and Virtue: Authorship as Edification, makes a solid argument that Kierkegaard is indeed relevant today.

In this present volume Tietjen begins chapter one as follows, “My goal is to convince Christians as I have been convinced that Soren Kierkegaard is a voice that should be sought and heard for the edification of the church” (p. 25). Kierkegaard’s aim was to reintroduce Christianity into Christendom, hence the title of the book, A Christian Missionary to Christians.

Tietjen writes most convincingly as to whether a Christian should be suspicious of philosophy in general and Kierkegaard in particular. He puts to rest any fears one may have about philosophy by first citing its usefulness from noted Christians such as Clement and Augustine. Tietjen writes, “… Clement and Augustine might have viewed philosophy not as a threat but as a worthwhile pursuit.” (p. 34)

He alleviates any fears or suspicions about Kierkegaard that one may have by revealing his faith in God and theology. Tietjen records the following:

If one trolls around Kierkegaard’s work long enough, particularly his own voluminous collection of journals, worries about Kierkegaard’s own Christian faith dissipate rather quickly … there is no reason to think his personal Christian beliefs were outside the parameters of classic Reformed, Lutheran orthodoxy … in the very least one can rest assured that Kierkegaard’s intentions are themselves consistent with Christian faith (p. 36).

Mark A. Tietjen

Without these explanations one might discontinue reading Tietjen’s work and miss out on a clear and scholarly critique of Kierkegaard’s writings.

Tietjen tackles most adeptly and in great detail the writings of Kierkegaard on the subjects in chapters entitled “Jesus Christ”, “The Human Self”, “Christian Witness”, and “The Life of Christian Love.”

In the chapter entitled Jesus Christ, Tietjen writes, “Jesus did not come to be admired but to get followers, to be imitated… a Christian strives to be like Jesus, while an admirer does not.” (p. 73)

And he reminds us of the many people that Kierkegaard alluded to that Jesus reaches out to and gives the invitation to come to him—the lonely, poor, physically ill and disabled, those who experience emotional suffering, the abused, the suicidal and despairing, those in relational pain, and of course, the sinner (pp. 79-80).

“There is no end to the writing of books” says the Preacher of Ecclesiastes; the same can be said about the writing of books about preaching.

Every year countless books are published on the subject of preaching. The preacher who is in the market for fresh editions will face the exciting task of which ones to choose.

Realizing that her preaching skills need to be sharpened, the pastor wonders whether she should purchase one of the classics that she has never read or take a chance on a recently published edition.

A slim book that she should consider as she contemplates the great responsibility that she has with preaching the Word of God is Cornelius Plantinga Jr.’s Reading for Preaching, subtitled the preacher in conversation with storytellers, biographers, poets, and journalists.

Listed as one of the top ten best books for preachers for 2013 by Preaching Magazine, this a different type of a preaching book. http://www.preaching.com/resources/articles/11707451?page=10

Unlike the typical preaching text, there are no diagrams, outlines, or sermon illustrations. The reader will, however, come away with an insatiable urge to read and read some more.

Since reading is a very important part of the minister’s spiritual and intellectual growth and preachers are always looking for fresh new ideas for sermons and Bible studies, Plantinga advocates general reading to support ministry, believing that “a preacher is extremely likely to benefit from a program of general reading.”

To support his thesis, Plantinga mentions such diverse writers as Calvin, Nabokov, Orwell, Updike, and even Anne Lamott!

He also encourages a weekly visit to the website Arts and Letters Daily to “find out what the best journalists have been saying.”

Realizing the importance of wisdom needed in every area of preaching, Plantinga devotes three chapters on the subject—Whatever You Get, Get Wisdom; Wisdom on the Variousness of Life; and Wisdom on Sin and Grace.

Some notable pieces of advice from these chapters are:

“I recommend a reading program for preachers for lots of reasons, but chiefly because it will tend to make the preacher wise. It will give…substance” (73).

“God is great and God is good, but God is also elusive and unpredictable, and the preacher’s reading can help him see this.” (99).

“The wise preacher sticks with his reading program to become wise not only about the variousness of life, but also about some of the wonders within it. Naiveté is often the child of ignorance, but wonder is often the child of imagination” (102-103).

And from the interview listed above, “Reading wise writers is not recreation, it’s part of the preacher’s preparation to preach.”

This book is a page turner that reads like a novel; it leaves you hungry for more of the story. It will motive you to read and read some more. You will find yourself returning to it for motivation and inspiration.

Plantinga provides a selected reading list, which he states was chosen for “Imaginative Reading for Creative Preaching” Seminars which he hosted.

The list contains about 50 books and magazine articles of varying subjects—mostly secular—which will be appreciated by the reader. Book lovers, however, may be disappointed that the list is not longer.

Plantinga’s contribution is a welcome addition to any preacher’s library.

Reviewed by Larry Russi

Publisher’s page: http://www.eerdmans.com/Products/7077/reading-for-preaching.aspx

Preview: https://books.google.com/books/about/Reading_for_Preaching.html?id=TbC8AAAAQBAJ

Dr. Denzil R. Miller has written an important and timely work that will be a great tool for pastors and teachers of the Pentecostal persuasion.

This small e-book lists all the ingredients that are necessary for a much neglected subject. Miller begins by addressing what he calls a “troubling decline in spiritual experience”, which can be reversed as there is a “reawakening among Pentecostal preachers”. He makes compelling arguments for preaching and teaching on this important subject.

This brief introduction followed by Miller addressing four preliminary considerations—priority, context, focus, and preach with faith, and three important goals—create desire, inspire expectant faith, and bring to clear understanding—gets the reader ready for the meat of his message—the sermon itself.

Miller provides the reader with an abundance of Scriptures to support his writing, which will be beneficial to the pastor and teacher.

He concludes by giving detailed information on conducting an altar call.

Pastors and teachers who have neglected preaching and teaching on this subject will be most grateful for this practical work.

Reviewed by Larry Russi

Find How to Preach on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit on the Decade of Pentecost free download page: http://www.decadeofpentecost.org/booklets/

Describing himself as a curious skeptic, Martyn Wendell Jones set out to find out for himself if what was happening in Redding, California at Bethel Church was indeed a move of God and that revival was taking place.

Jones who attends a Presbyterian (PCA) church in Toronto admits that he has never heard anyone speak or pray in tongues. He also declined prayer for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit when asked by some members of Bethel.

In spite of his background Jones provides a balanced assessment on the ministries of Bethel. He writes that he half-expected to find an organization of hucksters or a community of believers devoted to God. Neither fit his expectations.

In this in-depth article Jones describes in detail the ministries of the church and the people who attend Bethel. Because of this, I believe that readers of his article will have a good idea of what to expect should they decide to visit Bethel.

Bethel was at one time an Assembly of God church affiliating in1954. In 2006, the church voted to become independent. Today, Bethel boasts of a weekly attendance averaging over 8,600 and an operating budget of over $9 million dollars.

Four ministries make-up Bethel: the church itself, iBethel, Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM), and Bethel music.

The more than 2,000 students from 57 countries and 45 states at BSSM are trained to become “revivalists”. A description of the courses and interviews with the teachers would have been helpful for the reader of his article to perhaps get a better idea as to what is being taught at BSSM and of the attendees of Bethel.

Jones states that the unifying theme at Bethel is revival.  In fact the walls above the auditorium floor have banners with images of people holding signs that say “I am revival”.

McCurdy says that some Bethel students have been kicked out of some of the local stores for their “erratic behavior”, including a BSSM student who had been trying to prophesy to a customer through their dog.

Phil Johnson, who spoke at a John MacArthur Strange Fire conference, says that Bethel “constitutes a whole different message from biblical Christianity” and that it is “totally devoid of any true and consistent proclamation of the gospel.”

On a positive note, the mayor of Redding estimates that Bethel’s members have saved the city the cost of five full-time jobs annually as a result of their pro bono work. Jones does not elaborate on what those jobs entailed.