Book Review Links

On February 5, 2021February 5, 2021 By charlieIn book reviews, linksLeave a comment

These links will take you to the archives of "Reformed Review." The book reviews are listed alphabetically. "The Reformation Continues" is an article. "The Problem of Polarization is a review of my book. Calvin and Scottish Theology: The Doctrine of Assurance Arminius: A Study in the Dutch Reformation The Restitution of Man and the Case …

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God was about to do ‘a new thing.’

LUKE 1:1-38 – God was about to do ‘a new thing’ (Isaiah 43:19). It was centred on Christ, though John also played his part (31-33,16-17). There were obstacles – Zechariah and Elizabeth were ‘old’ (18), and Mary had ‘no man’ (34). What were these obstacles to God? – Nothing: ‘with God nothing will be impossible’ […]

Our salvation comes from the Lord …

Genesis 13:1-18 Life is full of choices. Lot made a selfish choice (10-12). He allied himself with ‘the men of Sodom (who) were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord’ (13). Abraham made a godly choice, and he was blessed by the Lord (14-17). The lesson of Abraham’s choice is the lesson of Matthew […]

Which is more important to us – pleasing ourselves or serving the Lord?

We read about Solomon – he built “his own house”, and he built “the House of the Lord” (1 Kings 6:37-7:1). Which was the most important to him? Which is most important to us – pleasing ourselves or serving You? Help us, Lord, not to be “lovers of self, lovers of money, lovers of pleasure”. […]

Before our love for God, there is His love for us.

Exodus 20:1-20 – God does not want to see sin in us (20). He wants to see Himself in us. Sin robs us of His great blessing. He wants to fill us with love (Mark 12:28-31; Galatians 5:14; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13). Before our love for Him, there is His love for us. He is the […]

Less of our sin, more of Your love

Exodus 20:1-20 Less of our sin, more of Your love – Lord, this is our prayer. Our sin does us nothing but harm. Your love always does us good – nothing but good. We’re sinners, Lord. Why do You keep on loving us? We don’t know why – but we’re glad that You do! We […]

What do these stones mean?

Joshua 4:1-24 – ‘These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel for ever’ (7). When, in the future, the question was asked, ‘What do these stones mean?’(6), Israel would remember what the Lord had done for them (23). Knowing that ‘the hand of the Lord is mighty’, they would be strengthened […]

Lord, we face many problems and difficulties. You are greater than all of them!

Praying Though God’s Word John 15:18-16:33 Lord, we face many problems and difficulties. You are greater than all of them! This is Good News – and it fills our hearts with joy. “The world is trying to squeeze us into its mould” (Romans 12:2) – but You come to us with Your Word of victory: […]

Wisdom

PROVERBS 1:1-7 – Scripture speaks of different kinds of ‘wisdom’. In Proverbs, wisdom is closely associated with godliness. In Ecclesiastes, wisdom – viewed as mere human intelligence – is described as ‘meaningless, a chasing after the wind’ (1:12-18). This contrast is continued in the New Testament, where Paul describes Christ as our ‘Wisdom’, contrasting this […]

Sometimes, Lord, we don’t feel like t8he sun is shining upon us.

Exodus 27:1-19 Sometimes, Lord, we don’t feel like the sun is shining upon us. When we feel like this, help us to know that the light and love of Your Son is always shining upon us. When we’re feeling down, help us to remember that You raised Jesus up – “Up from the grave He […]

Lord, You love us. You call us to love You.

Lord, You love us. You call us to love You. Help us, Lord, to grow in our love for You – to obey Your Word, to do Your will, to walk in Your way. Prayer, based on Leviticus 8:1-36

For the Christian, the King’s Highway is the Way of Holiness: “This is the way, walk in it.”

Numbers 21:1-35 In verses 5-9, there is an illustration of God’s salvation (John 3:14-15). There is sin and death (Romans 5-6; 3:23, 6:23). Christ prays for our forgiveness (7; Luke 23:34). Lifted up on the Cross, He dies that we might have eternal life. In love, He appeals to us, ‘Look to me and be […]

Without God’s grace and mercy, we will fall. With His grace and mercy, we will stand.

Ezekiel 4:1-6:14; Hebrews 5:11-6:12; Proverbs 26:23-27:4 “Alas! because of all the wicked and detestable practices of the house of Israel, for they will fall by the sword, famine and plague” (Ezekiel 6:11). Alongside these words concerning Israel’s sin and fall, we place the solemn words of Hebrews 6:4-6, words which warn us of the danger […]

Ezekiel 1:1-3:27; Hebrews 4:14-5:10; Psalm 119:153-160

“Visions of God” – This is what we have in Ezekiel. These visions are not easy to understand. Their form emphasizes that God is beyond our understanding. We see the glory of God, and we fall before Him in worship (Ezekiel 3:23). We are not, however, to content ourselves with seeing the glory of God […]

Don’t let making a profit become more important than being a prophet.

Numbers 22:1-41 Learn from the past. In 2 Peter 2:15-16, Jude 11 and Revelation 2:14, we are encouraged to learn from the events of this chapter. Each passage contains a warning. (a) 2 Peter 2:15-16 – Don’t leave ‘the straight way’ and follow the crooked way! (b) Jude 11 – Don’t let making a profit […]

Nothing in my hand I bring…

Romans 11:1-36 ‘You stand fast only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe’ (20). In 9:32, Paul contrasted ‘faith’ and ‘works’. Here, he contrasts ‘grace’ and ‘works’ (6). Grace and faith belong together. ‘Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy Cross I cling’ (Church Hymnary, 83) – This is […]

In the Lord, we are strong.

2 Kings 23:1-24:7; Romans 1:1-17; Psalm 84:1-7 “Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did …” (2 Kings 23:25). Like Josiah, Paul was a man who was unashamed of his Lord; “ I am not ashamed of the Gospel …” (Romans 1:16). Where does this […]

Matthew 5:21-37

The teaching of Jesus here may be summed up thus: The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. Jesus’ teaching was much more penetrating than the pronouncements made by the scribes and Pharisees. Not content to scratch the surface, Jesus asked the deeper question, ‘What’s going on in your heart?’. Jesus’ teaching […]

Make sure that it’s real!

Acts 8:4-40 Make sure that it’s real! Simon the magician was impressed by the ‘signs and great miracles’, but his ‘heart’ was ‘not right before God’ (13,19). The Ethiopian’s conversion was real. Searching the Scriptures, he found the Saviour (30-35). From the Ethiopian’s conversion, we learn of Jesus’ promise: ‘Seek and you will find’. From […]

Redeemed

Lamentations 3:40-5:22; Hebrews 1:1-14; Psalm 119:129-136 Lamentations 4:20 contains an interesting phrase – “The Lord’s anointed, our very life breath.” Christ is the Lord’s anointed. Christ is our life. He is God’s Word to us – “in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:2). He is God’s Son – […]

Saul the persecutor becomes Paul the Apostle.

Acts 9:1-43 Saul the persecutor become Paul the Apostle (13:9). What a great turning-point this was in the life of the early Church! When we read of Paul’s missionary journeys (13:1-28:31). we may be tempted to think, ‘What a great man Paul must have been’. In his letters, Paul insists that we must not think […]