Happy New Year!

End of year musings…

I'm reading Tim Keller's new book, "The Prodigal God."  Convicting doesn't quite convey what this book is doing to me.  It's definitely stirring things up spiritually.  The book shares the story that we've all come to know as the parable of the Prodigal Son.  Tim Challies reviewed the book and shared this:

Traditionally, readings of the parable of the Prodigal Son have focused on the younger son and his reconciliation with his father. We learn from such readings that God is willing to receive all those who wander from him. Yet too often we overlook that third character—the older brother. Were the story only about the father and the younger son we would expect that the Pharisees, among those who first heard Jesus tell this parable, would react with joy. Yet we know from Scripture that they walked away in disgust and disbelief. Why? Because the parable pointed to them as examples of the older son. As Keller says, Jesus’ purpose in this parable “was not to warm our hearts, but to shatter our categories.”

Consider them shattered.  I am going to recommend this book to all my friends, believers and skeptics alike.

On another note, Tim Challies also wrote about this and I thought I'd share it here as well.  He said,

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably got quite a few Bibles lying around your home—Bibles that have been replaced at one time or another and are now just gathering dust. You don’t want to throw them out, but also don’t quite know what to do with them. Well here is one way of putting them to good use. You can bare your bookshelf and send the books to pastors in other parts of the world. Christian Resources International has a program in place that will help you do just that. “Just enter your name, address, and denomination in the form below, and then we’ll send you—free—all the mailing materials you need to send a Bible to a specific pastor, Christian worker, church member, or seeker overseas. We’ll send you the recipient’s name and address, so you can pray for the recipient by name.” You can go to the post office (if you’re in the U.S., at least) and send that envelope anywhere in the world for only $12. And, because ” the mailing materials bear CRI’s return address, you need not worry that you’ll be personally contacted by anyone overseas.” Take a look at the program and see if it may be a good way of finally clearing out some of those old Bibles.

And on that note, I pray you have a blessed and peaceful, peace-filled, Christ-filled New Year!