The Oak Log

I like that last paragraph. It helps to put my li...

2012-05-04T09:22:46.821-04:00

I like that last paragraph. It helps to put my life in perspective yet in a positive way. The scriptures are for me, but not all about me - a great antidote to the temptation of spiritual "navel gazing".

Valerie Cherry

Great check list. I enjoyed this review in general...

2012-04-23T09:18:42.643-04:00

Great check list. I enjoyed this review in general terms of thinking through our personal callings before God as well. Will look into the book for hubby! :) Thanks, Jude!

Great point Valerie. A protective father cannot co...

2012-04-21T06:32:47.339-04:00

Great point Valerie. A protective father cannot compensate for an immature and ungodly daughter.

I know that Godly fathers have both a duty and a g...

2012-04-20T12:10:10.790-04:00

I know that Godly fathers have both a duty and a great desire to protect their daughters and I have lived with one for 44 years. I have also often been in the role of intermediary between father and daughter when communication breaks down!
For what it's worth, here is my advice - fathers teach your DAUGHTERS to love and honour Jesus above all. You have little hope of influencing their choices of dates or husbands by any other means. At some point they will make these choices and all this fatherly chest thumping will be to no avail unless your girls have the spiritual maturity to choose rightly.
God strengthen you and give you His wisdom.

Valerie Cherry (mother of one boy and two girls)

Well chosen. Well timed. Just what I needed this ...

2012-04-07T08:44:25.118-04:00

Well chosen. Well timed. Just what I needed this am :) They are indeed, new every morning

Catherine, thanks for that clarification. I think ...

2012-03-19T14:31:52.562-04:00

Catherine, thanks for that clarification. I think that "faction" may be a great compromise, particularly for younger readers.

Thanks Jude for this review. I'm glad you enjo...

2012-03-19T11:47:31.785-04:00

Thanks Jude for this review. I'm glad you enjoyed it and in response to the query you raise about historical accuracy I can give you some input here as I've worked on pretty much most of the trailblazer books now in an editorial capacity. Regarding the historical accuracy of the books I would say that the bulk of them are very accurate, but as you say there is some leeway. Someone I know refers to this sort of book as Faction. If you were to give a ratio I'd say that the trailblazer biographies will certainly hit 80% fact 20% fiction - when you consider that most of the dialogue is invented. But even then the invented dialogue is something that we attempt to keep realistic. Regards. Catherine Mackenzie, Author and Editor, Christian Focus Publications

Oh, my dear C.S. how right you are!!! As Grandma ...

2012-02-04T09:25:34.430-05:00

Oh, my dear C.S. how right you are!!! As Grandma to six boys, that picture of throwing yourself into a chair after they visit is exactly right. As parents and grandparents, we love them dearly - but they are exhausting.

Valerie Cherry

Good reminder to keep our eye on the Jesus ball. N...

2012-01-26T11:07:07.064-05:00

Good reminder to keep our eye on the Jesus ball. Needed this reminder as I finally returned to writing this morning. Thanks Jude!

Jacob, I think that there are several areas where...

2011-12-31T21:56:16.369-05:00

Jacob,

I think that there are several areas where the authors are unclear about the practical implications of some of the things they talk about. In the one you suggest, it seems that they do ok talking about sanctification in terms of Christ freeing us from slavery but they do not go into the practical side of what sanctification looks like on a daily basis.

I guess that is what I am hinting at in the paragraph above that discusses the lack of practical considerations.

In reading the book, it seemed to me that they were not writing the book to interact with application so I did not want to take them to task for something they were not addressing. I think they were going for awareness of the ideas as opposed to a thorough teaching on them.

But I think that you have good reason to pause and perhaps you have focused in on a particular troubling issue that arises from the practical aspects of these topics not being pursued.

As it turns out, I can't find my copy right now but when I will do I'll look specifically at that section and consider what you have noted and respond.

Thanks for interacting with me on this ... and happy new year!

Jude

Jude, Thanks for your thoughts here. I received t...

2011-12-31T15:36:06.643-05:00

Jude,

Thanks for your thoughts here. I received this book for early review as I imagine you did as well. I found it very compelling at parts and plan to post a largely positive review. However an area that gave me a little concern was on pages 123-128 of the edition I have (the "advance proofs"). The section deals with freedom from sin in the context of slavery to Christ. There's a lot of great material here, but I felt like the authors were a little unclear at times about the relationship between definitive sanctification (our break with sin by union with Christ) and progressive sanctification (the outworking of this freedom in our life with Christ). There were elements of this section that made me pause and consider what they were saying. For example they downplay the use of the word "struggle" to describe out ongoing battle with sin and say "you would be far better off to call it sin and be done with it" (125). There's a complacency about sin that they are expressing here which I appreciate, but on the other hand, there's a sensitivity to one's ongoing life in Christ and the weariness of indwelling sin that they appear reductionistic about the point of having tingest of Christian perfectionism in their wording. I think on the whole of the book they rectify this problem, but in this section that's focused on the issue, I'm not sure they are as clear as they could be.

I'm just now starting to formulate my review and concerns here. I was wondering if you could help me out here - am I misreading or imparting too much to this section? On the whole the book is very good, but this section made me pause to make sure I was clear before moving ahead with a review.

Thanks for your time!
Yours,
~Jacob

You convinced me. I'll watch for this one when...

2011-12-28T11:24:13.535-05:00

You convinced me. I'll watch for this one when it becomes available. The paradox of Christianity are always worth more study.

And I should probably place myself in the "older curmudgeon-type" category too. ;-)

Scott, your most welcome. This is a wonderful book...

2011-12-22T06:43:38.144-05:00

Scott, your most welcome. This is a wonderful book that I'll be encouraging others to read. Thanks for your contribution to my 'course of study'.

Someone pointed me to this review and I wanted to ...

2011-12-20T11:44:27.216-05:00

Someone pointed me to this review and I wanted to thank you for your kind words. It seems "layfolk" get this in a way some "scholars" seem bent on missing. Thank you again.

Came across this quote: John Owen – God’s Gloriou...

2011-12-01T17:07:36.597-05:00

Came across this quote:

John Owen – God’s Glorious Attributes Revealed in Christ
by Bentley

God, by the work of the creation, by the creation itself, did reveal himself in many of his properties unto his creatures capable of his knowledge—his power, his goodness, his wisdom, his all-sufﬁciency are thereby known… But yet there are some properties of God which all the works of creation cannot in any measure reveal or make known—as his patience, longsuffering, and forbearance. For all things being made good (Gen. 1:31), there could be no place for the exercise of any of these properties, or manifestation of them. The whole fabric of heaven and earth considered in itself, as at ﬁrst created, will not discover any such thing as patience and forbearance in God; which yet are eminent properties of his nature, as himself proclaims and declares (Ex. 34:6–7)….

There are some of the most eminent and glorious properties of God (I mean, in the manifestation whereof he will be most glorious; otherwise his properties are not to be compared) that there is not the least glimpse to be attained of out of the Lord Christ, but only by and in him; and some that comparatively we have no light of but in him; and of all the rest no true light but by him.

~John Owen~

Not sure if this guy wrote that commentary ... doe...

2011-11-15T17:45:52.753-05:00

Not sure if this guy wrote that commentary ... doesn't say anything in his bio in the book.

Andrew, I got that picture from www.naturewallpape...

2011-11-15T06:34:42.178-05:00

Andrew, I got that picture from www.naturewallpaper.info You'll have to get permission from them I guess.

I am project managing a book for The Nautical Inst...

2011-11-14T13:29:04.727-05:00

I am project managing a book for The Nautical Institute. Can I have permission to use your image of the Stormy seas please.
With best wishes
God Bless
Andrew Lansdale
andrew@lansdale.co.uk

You know, I have always struggled to read the Psal...

2011-11-13T21:31:43.101-05:00

You know, I have always struggled to read the Psalms and even Proverbs. But when I come to Ecclesiastes, there is a natural enjoyment I have as those words seem to drip into my mind as honey, every one them sweet.

Is this the same Tom Nelson who wrote the commentary on Song of Solomon?

That's a great conversation. Appreciate Drisc...

2011-10-05T18:16:45.768-04:00

That's a great conversation. Appreciate Driscoll's defense and the civility of discourse.
Favourite line: "forgot my second point ...cuz I went to public school"

Bust a move ... or bust a vertebra?

2011-09-26T23:55:39.761-04:00

Bust a move ... or bust a vertebra?

This post hit me like a sack of potatoes! I can...

2011-09-23T23:13:26.538-04:00

This post hit me like a sack of potatoes! I can't imagine how dreadful that day would be without Christ. Even thinking about it now gives me goosebumps!

So is this how they do it? Yes, interesting indeed...

2011-09-22T14:49:47.479-04:00

So is this how they do it? Yes, interesting indeed.

(although I might have voted to stay with straight "slave"...but I do appreciate their rationale...)

Marv and Valerie, that is a "kind word in sea...

2011-09-21T06:37:05.218-04:00

Marv and Valerie, that is a "kind word in season" and very much appreciated.

Jude, We have been following this blog now for ab...

2011-09-20T18:53:16.321-04:00

Jude,

We have been following this blog now for about two years and have been greatly encouraged by the various posts. In addition the links to other sites have introduced us to a number of excellent study resources. We would urge you to keep up the work; it is obviously a ministry where your God given gifts can bring blessing to others.

Merv & Valerie Cherry