Reviewed by Jack Charleson. In New Life, New Lifestyle we are encouraged as we seek to develop an attitude of discipleship in our daily walk with Christ.… Read more
Our Mission to China
By A. Donald MacLeod. In the mid 1880s, foreign missions became a dominant concern for many young people, who volunteered to go overseas, especially to China. Jonathan Goforth founded the Canadian Presbyterian mission in Honan, north of the Yellow River in China. … Read more
Editorial: The Tension Between Law And Gospel
By Calvin Brown. Among Christians there has always been a tension between law and gospel, between living in grace and forgiveness and the call to holiness and justice, between freedom to choose what we think best for us as individuals and losing our moral compass. … Read more
The Transforming Friendship: A Guide to Prayer, by James M. Houston
Reviewed by Eugene H. Peterson. Prayer is friendship with God, and friendships do not thrive on formulas or techniques; we have to be there, put ourselves in company with the other, and see what happens. We are dealing with innerness, something organic, that must grow, not outerness that can be engineered. … Read more
The Word of God
Thomas F. Torrance underlines the centrality of the Word of God written and the Word made flesh. … Read more
A Bad Habit: Summer Non-Attendance
By Wallace Whyte. One of the chief factors contributing to the summer slump at church is the attitude and expectations of the congregational leaders, including the minister. If the impression is given that members are not expected to worship during the summer, they are likely to comply. … Read more
The Problem of Preaching, by Donald Macleod
Reviewed by Stephen Self. Preaching is the art of making the preacher and delivering that. The preparation of the speaker is more important than the preparation of the sermon. Six qualities every sermon should have … Read more
Evangelism: A Way of Life, by Rebecca Pippert and Ruth Siemens
Reviewed by Jim Walton. This book is a compilation of twelve inductive Bible studies to help with discovering and understanding a biblical perspective of evangelism and integrating it into one’s lifestyle. … Read more
The Race
Luci Shaw is a well-known poet and author who lives in Bellingham, Washington. This poem, The Race, is from Luci's book of poetry, Angles of Light. … Read more
Teach us to Pray
In the Lord’s Prayer, Stephen Self examines the address (Luke 11:2, Matt. 6:9); followed by five requests: the two Thou-petitions (Luke 11:2, Matt. 6:9- 10a), the two We-petitions (Luke 11:3-4a; Matt. 6:10b-12), and the concluding request (Luke 11:4b; Matt. 6:13).. … Read more
Paradigm Shifts or Sinking Sand: A reflection on the 119th General Assembly
By Robert Bettridge. If we are to be effective for the Kingdom of God we are going to have to make changes, but let those changes be directed by the Lordship of Jesus Christ, by the power of his Holy Spirit and in obedience to the Father’s will as revealed in Scripture. … Read more
A Christian Manifesto, by Francis A. Schaeffer
Reviewed by Alan Hartley. The book is dedicated “to all those who have said: ‘Here I stand’, facing oppressive authoritarian civil and church power.” This manifesto is meant to create opposition to the breakdown of Christian values in American society. Restitution of the balance between order and freedom will require active involvement by Christians in society. … Read more
The 123rd General Assembly
Bob Astop reports that attending General Assembly was a rewarding and spiritual experience, seeing a whole denomination united in worship of our Lord and being proud to be a Presbyterian. … Read more
The Divine Conspiracy, by Dallas Willard
By Bob Birse. Gently, Willard leads us into a fresh examination of sometimes all too familiar ground. In his introduction he says, "My hope is to gain a fresh hearing for Jesus, especially among those who believe they already understand him." … Read more
Singapore ’87 – A Canadian Presbyterian Perspective
By John A. Vissers. My time at Singapore ’87 has given me a new perspective on the church around the world, on Christian leadership, on world evangelization, on the worship of God, on prayer, on the relationship between theology and evangelism, on renewal, and on the Christian church in Canada … Read more
Answering God, by Eugene H. Peterson
Reviewed by J.H. (Hans) Kouwenberg. The subtitle of the book is “the Psalms as Tools for Prayer”. It is one man’s journey through the Psalms with a deliberate attempt to see what might resonate and echo, “deep unto deep,” soul unto soul, person unto God. … Read more