Happy New Year!
Listed in no particular order here is a list of the best books I read in 2013.
The Hour That Changes The World
This book was first published in 1978 but I was not familiar with the book. The title caught my eye on a vendor's table at the Georgia Home Education Conference in 2013. I downloaded it to my tablet and immediately wondered why I had never heard of the excellent book on prayer.
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And When You Pray: The Deeper Meaning of the Lord's Prayer
A closer look at the prayer Jesus gives in the first 5 verses of Matthew 6 written by Ray Pritchard of Keep Believing Ministries
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Through The Eyes of C.H. Spurgeon
This book is a collection of powerful quotes from C.H. Spurgeon.
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Ten Indictments Against the Modern Church
This message was preached on October 22, 2008 by Paul Washer who served as a missionary in Peru for ten years. Powerful word for the Church.
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Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart: How to Know For Sure You Are Saved
Don't let the title fool you, this is an excellent book on the assurance of salvation based on the finished work of Christ not on praying a one time prayer. Easy-believism is a blight on the modern church. This book can help a lot of people: saved and lost.
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Demolishing Supposed Bible Contradictions Volume 1 & 2
Edited by Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis, has provided Christians with an excellent resource to help equip them be able to "always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you"
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The Insanity of God
Powerful! See how God is working through His Church around the world. Persecution and suffering is a very real and normal part for many around the world. God is faithful. Their faith is strong and vibrant. Would our "faith" here in America stand or would it be exposed as a shallow fake?
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Total Truth
Addresses how Christians have developed a wrong way of looking at life. In the culture war your worldview does matter.
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The Masculine Mandate
A book that calls men back to biblical manhood - masculinity. Not very popular in 21st century America but very much needed in a the confused culture of our day.
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Discover the Mystery of Faith
How worship shapes believing.
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Walking East to West: God in the Shadows
Ravi Zacharias, distinguished Christian apologist, tells his story.
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50 People Every Christian Should Know: Learning From Spiritual Giants of the Faith
Warren Wiersbe provides brief biographies from church history.
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* I am not including the Bible in this list. I strive to read through the Bible every year. I agree with Tony Reinke (author of Lit!), there are two genres of books: genre A - The Bible and genre B - All other books. The books included in this list are from genre B.
Allan's Angle
the way i see it...(a pilgrim in progress)
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Tell Your Children...
July 10
Evening
"Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation." Joel 1:3
In this simple way, by God's grace, a living testimony for truth is always to be kept alive in the land--the beloved of the Lord are to hand down their witness for the gospel, and the covenant to their heirs, and these again to their next descendants. This is our first duty, we are to begin at the family hearth: he is a bad preacher who does not commence his ministry at home. The heathen are to be sought by all means, and the highways and hedges are to be searched, but home has a prior claim, and woe unto those who reverse the order of the Lord's arrangements. To teach our children is a personal duty; we cannot delegate it to Sunday school teachers, or other friendly aids; these can assist us, but cannot deliver us from the sacred obligation; proxies and sponsors are wicked devices in this case: mothers and fathers must, like Abraham, command their households in the fear of God, and talk with their offspring concerning the wondrous works of the Most High. Parental teaching is a natural duty--who so fit to look to the child's well-being as those who are the authors of his actual being? To neglect the instruction of our offspring is worse than brutish. Family religion is necessary for the nation, for the family itself, and for the church of God. By a thousand plots Popery is covertly advancing in our land, and one of the most effectual means for resisting its inroads is left almost neglected, namely, the instruction of children in the faith. Would that parents would awaken to a sense of the importance of this matter. It is a pleasant duty to talk of Jesus to our sons and daughters, and the more so because it has often proved to be an accepted work, for God has saved the children through the parents' prayers and admonitions. May every house into which this volume shall come honour the Lord and receive his smile.
(taken from July 11 Evening reading in Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon) Too many Christian parents are naive when it comes to the dangers facing their children when they go to school or off to college. We must prepare our children to grow up and live godly. The Bible is very clear about the father's responsibility to his children. (See Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Psalm 78, Proverbs 4, Ephesians 6:1-4). The faith cannot be assumed, we must be intentional in passing it on to the next generation. They must have real faith, they must know what they believe and why. You had better believe that the devil and the world are going to be intentional in trying to lead your child down the wrong path. "The reality is that when you now come to America’s colleges you have to know who you are or else someone will tell you who you are. There is so much pressure on students to drop certain beliefs, and it is very difficult to stop dropping other beliefs once you give in." Don't let your kids go into battle unequipped! Sunday religion will not get the job done. Come on Dad, get in the battle. Your kids are worth fighting for! Soli Deo Gloria, allan |
Sunday, July 7, 2013
THREE CHORDS & THE TRUTH: WAITIN' ON A WOMAN
"Country Music is three chords and the truth." - Harlan Howard
WAITIN' ON A WOMAN
Writer: Wynn Varble and Don Sampson
Sittin' on a bench at West Town Mall
He sat down in his overalls and asked me
You waitin' on a woman
I nodded yeah and said how 'bout you
He said son since nineteen fifty-two I've been
Waitin' on a woman
When I picked her up for our first date
I told her I'd be there at eight
And she came down the stairs at eight-thirty
She said I'm sorry that I took so long
Didn't like a thing that I tried on
But let me tell you son she sure looked pretty
Yeah she'll take her time but I don't mind
Waitin' on a woman
He said the wedding took a year to plan
You talk about an anxious man, I was nervous
Waitin' on a woman
And then he nudged my arm like old men do
And said, I'll say this about the honeymoon, it was worth it
Waitin' on a woman
And I don't guess we've been anywhere
She hasn't made us late I swear
Sometimes she does it just 'cause she can do it
Boy it's just a fact of life
It'll be the same with your young wife
Might as well go on and get used to it
She'll take her time 'cause you don't mind
Waitin' on a woman
I've read somewhere statistics show
The man's always the first to go
And that makes sense 'cause I know she won't be ready
So when it finally comes my time
And I get to the other side
I'll find myself a bench, if they've got any
I hope she takes her time, 'cause I don't mind
Waitin' on a woman
Honey, take your time, cause I don't mind
Waitin' on a woman
_________________________________________
Thankful for my wife and daughter!
I am so blessed!!
"Honey, take your time, cause I don't mind Waitin' on a Woman!"
Soli Deo Gloria,
allan
Saturday, June 1, 2013
THINGS NEEDFUL
Thou Eternal
Source,
Author of all
created being and happiness,
I adore thee for making man capable
of religion,
that he may be taught to
say:
‘Where is God, my Maker, who giveth
songs in the
night?’
But degeneracy has
spread over our
human race,
turning glory into
shame,
rendering us forgetful of
thee.
We know it is thy
power alone
that can recall wandering
children,
can impress on them a sense of divine
things,
and can render that sense lasting and
effectual;
From thee proceed
all good purposes and desires,
and the diffusing of piety and
happiness.
Thou hast knowledge
of my soul’s secret
principles,
and art aware of my desire to spread the
gospel.
Make me an almoner
to give thy
bounties to the
indigent,
comfort to the mentally
ill,
restoration to the
sin-diseased,
hope to the
despairing,
joy to the sorrowing,
love to the prodigals.
Blow away the ashes
of unbelief by
thy Spirit’s breath
and give me light, fire, and warmth of
love.
I need spiritual
comforts
that are gentle, peaceful, mild,
refreshing,
that will melt me into conscious lowliness
before thee,
that will make me feel and rest in thee
as my All.
Fill the garden of
my soul with the wind of love,
that the scents of the Christian life may be
wafted to others;
then come and gather fruits to thy
glory.
So shall I fulfil
the great end of my being –
to glorify thee and be a blessing to
men.
from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions
Thursday, February 28, 2013
REDEEMED, HOW I LOVE TO PROCLAIM IT!
1 Peter 1:18-19 (HCSB)
18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.
Words by Fanny J. Crosby
Redeemed—how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child, and forever, I am.
Redeemed and so happy in Jesus,
No language my rapture can tell;
I know that the light of His presence
With me doth continually dwell.
I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long;
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.
I know I shall see in His beauty
The King in whose way I delight;
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps,
And giveth me songs in the night
"Let the redeemed of the LORD proclaim that He has redeemed them from the hand of the foe "
Soli Deo Gloria
ah
18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.
Words by Fanny J. Crosby
Redeemed—how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child, and forever, I am.
Chorus:
Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child, and forever, I am.
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child, and forever, I am.
Redeemed and so happy in Jesus,
No language my rapture can tell;
I know that the light of His presence
With me doth continually dwell.
I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long;
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.
I know I shall see in His beauty
The King in whose way I delight;
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps,
And giveth me songs in the night
____________
"All my theology is reduced to this narrow compass - Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners." - Archibald Alexander
Redeem - to buy back or to free from what distresses or harms. Man has been separated from God by sin. Christ paid the penalty for our sin to satisfy divine justice. He has freed us from the shackles of sin's bondage and God's eternal wrath. A realization of this redemption causes the ransomed to want to sing! "Redeemed, How I Love To Proclaim It! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb..."
"Let the redeemed of the LORD proclaim that He has redeemed them from the hand of the foe "
Psalm 107:2
Soli Deo Gloria
ah
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