Clear Vision musings

Yesterday I challenged you to to read dead guys. (See yesterday’s post or the Puritan Reading Challenge image in the sidebar.) Perhaps you were unconvinced. You see no reason why anyone would want to do this.

I gave you one good reason, spiritual maturity. Fluff reading (or non-reading) keeps Christians as babes on milk. They need to grow and enjoy a full well-rounded meal. That should really be enough. But for a nice list of a few good reasons, read Colin Adam’s 20 Reasons to Read (Good Christian Books). And I’ll try to get my own post written soon on why I think reading dead guys is important.

SDG,
Lisa

““Fluff” is the enemy of every Christian seeking to become spiritually mature.” (Stephen Newell)

I’m taking a challenge that I’m praying for grace to complete. I have several books by Puritan authors, but there are many more I’d like to read. To help keep me consistent, I’ve joined the 2008 Puritan Reading Challenge.

I am going to try to keep up with the reading schedule of one book per month, from their list (below), as well as writing at least one blog post about each one. I’d also like to re-begin my Valley of Vision (alternate link - leather bound) daily reading along with this too, but that may be a bit too ambitious.

If you’d like to join the challenge or read more about it, click the image here or in the sidebar.

List of books: (if you want more info on the books, or for links to read each on line - or download pdf or listen to audio - check our webpage here.)

January: The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes (128 pp)
February: The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel (221 pp)
March: The Godly Man’s Picture by Thomas Watson (252 pp)
April: Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices by Thomas Brooks (253 pp)
May: Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ by John Bunyan (225 pp) - Click Monergism image link below to search and order.
June: The Mortification of Sin by John Owen (130 pp) - this link not the Banner of Truth edition. Click here The Mortification of Sin to order Banner of Truth ed.
July: A Lifting Up for the Downcast by William Bridge (287 pp)
August: The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs (228 pp)
September: The True Bounds of Christian Freedom by Samuel Bolton (224 pp)
October: The Christian’s Great Interest by William Guthrie (207 pp)
November: The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter (256 pp) - on audio
December: A Sure Guide to Heaven by Joseph Alleine (148 pp)

The Sword (the Word of God) rightly expounded and divided and The Swordsman (the Holy Spirit) rightly obeyed and honored, are both necessary for the preaching of God’s Word to bear the fruit heaven in ministry.
—great quote from Steve Camp’s blog

Steve Camp blogged on Jonathan Edwards’ "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" yesterday. Christians just don’t talk much about that anymore - an angry God that is. It certainly is not ALL God is. He is truly Love, perfect Love; and Good, perfect Goodness. But to be perfect love and goodness, He must also HATE sin. And He does. His Word tells us so. In fact, everything we can know for a fact about God is found in His Word. We have no other source for truly knowing Him as He is. We can’t make up our own little ideas of what we think God SHOULD be like. We take Him as He is, and as the Sovereign of the Universe.

You can head over there if you want to read or listen to Edward’s sermon.

If you don’t know who Jonathan Edwards is, you won’t find him on your local Christian radio station or your inspirational cable channel. He was a godly pastor whose preaching began the Great Awakening in the first half of the 18th century in America. Read more about him at Monergism.com.

Read part of the life of Jonathan Edwards. How feeble does my spark of Christianity appear beside such a sun! But even his was a borrowed light, and the same source is still open to enlighten me.
— Robert Murray M’Cheyne