Who Are You To Judge? by Dave Swavely is a book that deals primarily with legalism. It defines judging and legalism in a biblical manner, and discusses two often-overlooked biblical commands: Do not pass judgment before the time and do not exceed what is written. Swavely teaches that learning to identify and avoid these problems will help promote peace and joy in the body of Christ, and release believers to serve God in the freedom of His grace.

All Christians have, at one time or another, borne the brunt of inappropriate judging and the burden of legalism. All Christians have, in all likelihood, been guilty of inappropriate judging and burdening others with legalism. Here are some examples of legalistic, judgmental statements as provided by the author:

In the summer of 1805 a young man set sail on the long, perilous journey to India. He left friends, family and prospects behind in order to serve as a missionary in a foreign land. Already suffering the tuberculosis, the disease that had claimed the life of his mother and would soon also claim his two sisters, he forsook the prospects of a comfortable life as a minister or scholar and travelled to the far side of the world. He did so for the love of India, for the love of the gospel and ultimately for the love of God.

"Whatever Happened To The Gospel of Grace?" is exactly the sort of book you might expect a traditional, Reformed pastor and theologian to leave as his final message to the world, for before this book was published, James Boice, long-time pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia went to be with the Lord. This book stands as a call to the church to rediscover the principles upon which the Protestant church was built. It was Boice's conviction that much of what passes as Christianity today is anything but. The church will only be able to be an effective witness for God when it returns to the foundation of the five solas that defined the Reformation (Scripture alone, Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone, glory to God alone).

Of the several hundred books I have read in the past few years, there is one which I have recommended more often than any other. I recently revisited this book and decided that I would post a review of it, though I did so several years ago on this site. It was a groundbreaking book in my life and know that God has used it mightily in the lives of other believers.

Putting Amazing Back Into Grace is the first book I have read by Michael Horton. It will certainly not be my last. On the cover of the book J.I. Packer declares the book "a breaktaking workout" and his praise is justified. This book points us back to the Reformation and ultimately to the Bible itself as the source of an amazing grace that much of modern Christianity seems to have lost. He presents timeless truths as being as relevant to us today as they were when they were first discovered.

There are few subjects more debated and more hotly debated in the church today than whether or not the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit continue to this day. We have recently seen a great deal of discussion about this issue in the blogosphere. It is an issue which leaves many believers confused, unsure as to what they believe and what they should believe. Cessationists, who believe that the miraculous gifts have ceased, often point to the excesses of the charismatic movement as proof that God surely could not stand behind such manifestations of His Spirit. Many continuationists, who believe the gifts continue to be poured out on the church, suggest that it is unfair to rely on the extremes of the movement and point instead to the more biblical, moderate charismatics, among whom are often cited Sam Storms, John Piper, Wayne Grudem and C.J. Mahaney.

I believe it was in a Tom Clancy book I read many, many years ago where I found a statement that daughters are given by God to punish men for what they did, said and thought when they were young men. Obviously I know that is purely the imagined theology of a writer, yet I do think that having a daughter causes a man to take a look deep within himself. Every man instinctively feels the need to protect his daughters. For some reason men do not feel as deep a desire to protect their sons. Just yesterday I received a Christmas Newsletter from a family friend. He wrote about a young man who has shown interest in his daughter and will soon be coming to spend time with the family. “[He] is quite a gentleman but just in case, when he comes I intend to be cleaning my .45-caliber pistol. I also told him that if he ever touches my daughter I have no problem at all with going back to prison.”

“In a library archive in Surrey can be found the last words Andrew Reed ever wrote. They sum up his philosophy, that true gospel compassion, true gospel charity should look to the needs of the whole person; that individuals should be cared for holistically, both body and soul. They are words of Scripture written in a spidery hand with failing strength, but then underlined with a firmness and resolve showing that in his dying days his conviction and spirit were undimmed: ‘The greatest is charity.’” To Andrew Reed these words were more than a mere motto, but were words that drove his life.

That Andrew Reed’s name is not better known among Evangelicals is sad, yet it is probably exactly how he would have wanted it. A man of extreme humility, Reed dedicated all he did to the service of his Savior. He desired no praise and honor among men but only to serve the Lord.

Because I review primarily non-fiction I find myself inequipped and lacking confidence in my ability to review fiction. Fiction, after all, is far more subjective than non-fiction. Where a book about doctrine is either right or wrong when measured by the standard of Scripture, a novel can appeal to one person and have no appeal to another. I prefer to deal with hard facts than the intangibles of fiction!

Still, at times I enjoy reading fiction and find it a nice break from what I usually read. I recently read an advance copy of River Rising by Athol Dickson, a novel due for publication in January of 2006. Set in Pilotville, Louisiana in 1927, the subject of the story is Hale Poser, a stranger who has come to the town looking for his roots. He is a timid, humble man, but one who knows the Lord and is always ready to challenge others to know Him better. I will say little of the plot lest I say too much. It is something of an intricate plot and could be easily ruined.

As I read Humility by Wayne Mack I could not help but draw comparisons with C.J. Mahaney’s excellent book by the same title. I am glad to say that both books are deeply challenging and saturated in Scripture. Both men are skilled expositors of Scripture and both have a heart for the church. While I will go so far as to recommend both of these books I do not wish to make further comparison between them as each stands on its own merits.

“This book was written,” says Mack, “in an attempt to understand pride and humility from a biblical perspective and to help us diminsh the destructive pride factor and to increase the true humility factor in our lives.” To do this the author uses a “four-D” approach. He begins with biblical definitions of pride and humility and then discusses how pride and humility display themselves. Finally, he explains how true humility can be developed and destructive pride can be diminished in the life of the believer.

If the measure of a book that means a lot to me is the amount of topics it provides for writing then Rediscovering God’s Love by Frank Allred must be a very good one. As I read this book I was continually challenged and found myself constantly scribbling down notes about future topics I would like to discuss on my web site.

Frank Allred is a retired Anglican minister and author of How Can I Be Sure and Fix Your Eyes on Jesus. Beyond that I know little about him, except for what he reveals in this, his most recent book.