A NEW YEAR’S DETERMINATION

This is the time of year that most people make some kind of resolution.  There are websites now that will assist you in setting, tracking, and keeping your goals.  According to Mygoals.com:
•    22% of resolutions involve health or fitness
•    18% career
•    15% personal growth and interests
•    11% finance
•    11% time management and organization
•    8% family and relationships
•    6% education and training
•    5% home improvement and real estate
•    3% recreation and leisure

Last year I made a New Year’s determination that I want to revisit.  I limited the time so that it would be reasonable to keep.  I laid out plans on what would occupy my time so as to keep me on track, and in so doing I discovered that it was not difficult but was very beneficial in a number of ways.

My determination this past January was to cut out all news, I went on a News-Fast and I discovered that I was not near as anxious, upset, or agitated.  I turned off news and talk-radio; I fasted from news broadcasts, from the print media like newspapers, and the hardest of all, on-line news reports.

The secret was to fill my time with other things.  I spent my time reading books on the translations of the Holy Scriptures.  It was a fascinating study that, if possible, gave me a greater appreciation for the Word of God and the process through which it has gone through to come to us in a very trustworthy form.

This year I am going to read in several different areas and I will share with you my book list.  Beyond that the question for me is what do I do while riding in the car?  My daughter gave me a wonderful Christmas gift of C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters read dramatically on CD.  It is put out by Focus On The Family and I can’t wait to begin to listen to this great classic as I drive around Jacksonville.

Now to my book list for the month of January:
N.T. Wright, Surprised By Hope (New York: Harper One, 2008)  N.T. Wright deals with resurrection, heaven and the mission of the church.  It is a sobering look at what we believe and then at what Scripture really teaches.

Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods (New York: Dutton, 2009)  Timothy Keller is one of my favorite writers.  He deals with all the false gods that we put so much of our trust, faith, and energy into.  A great and convicting read.

Martin Sicker, Between Rome And Jerusalem (London: Praeger, 2001)  This is not for the faint of heart.  At $106.00 for a 189 page book you had better be serious about First Century issues between the Jews and the Romans.

Anthony Everitt, Hadrian (New York: Random House, 2009)  Everitt’s book on Augustus was incredible and this one I believe will be equally fascinating and informative.  Hadrian ruled over Rome during a very tempestuous time.  Hadrian led the battle in what we know as the Second Jewish War and Everitt believes this is what set the stage for much of the conflict today in the Middle East.

Stanley Weintraub, General Sherman’s Christmas: Savannah 1864 (New York: Harper, 2009) Sherman offered Savannah to Abraham Lincoln as a Christmas present the December of 1864 - too emotional to say anything more.

Jim Collins, How The Mighty Have Fallen (New York: HarperCollins, 2009)  This is a business book that deals with the fall of great companies and how their decline could have been avoided.  Collins is not a Christian, nor is this a book on Christianity but is very insightful in the area of business and running corporations.

Commentaries

Schreiner, Thomas R.
1 & 2 Peter and Jude, New American Commentary (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2003). Schreiner is an excellent theologian with good, solid exposition of the text.  While this commentary is meaty it is not overly technical.

Jobes, Karen H.
1 Peter, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005).  Jobes gives very detailed exegesis but it is well worth the study.  While somewhat technical it is also very “preachable” and helpful to the minister who wants something a little deeper than most commentaries.  Every time you study you need to be challenged by the text yourself – how else will you grow?

Davids, Peter
The First Epistle of Peter, New International Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990).  Peter Davids is an excellent commentator and expositor.  He will deal genuinely with a text and will give insight that others do not always have.  This is a little technical yet has practicality to preaching.

Heibert, D. Edmond
1 Peter (Winona Lake: B M H Books) Heibert is one of my favorite commentators.  He is technical but shows you how to use the technical in preaching.  His content is detailed and yet incredibly insightful.

Kelly, J.N.D.
The Epistles of Peter and Jude, Black’s New Testament Commentary (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1969) Kelly is a classic commentator and is very helpful for practical preaching.

Cleave, Derek
1 Peter (Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 1999) One of the most practical and practically helpful commentaries for a pastor.

Bentley, Michael
Living for Christ (1&2 Peter), Welwyn Commentary (Evangelical press, 1993) Another very practical, nontechnical, helpful commentary for pastors.

Moo, Douglas J.
The Letter of James, Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000) Moo is a great commentator and deals with the text, the technical, and the timing of the book in such a readable way.  This is a strong commentary for depth and perception into the text.

Motyer, J.A.
The Message of James, The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove: Inter-varsity Press, 1985)   This commentary helps you move through the themes of James and how it relates to the overall book.  This is a very good overall series to pick up.

Bloomberg, Craig L. and Mariam Karmell
James: Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008) This is a new commentary and an excellent addition to a pastors library.  It leans toward the technical side but with the pastor in mind.  It gives you thesis statements for each section, point ideas, and very practical explanation of the text.

Heibert, D. Edmond
James (Winona Lake: BMH Books) Again this commentator is one of my favorites.  He is so practical with the technical that it helps you put the grammar into everyday language for a congregation.  Yet it gives them insight into the text like they never had before.

Morgan, Christopher W. and B. Dale Ellenburg
James: Wisdom for the Community (Scotland: Christian Focus Publications) Divides the text in a helpful way so that you can see the structure and the verse by verse explanation.

Carson, D.A.
The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991) Perhaps the best overall commentary on the Gospel of John.  Carson is one of the best commentators of our day.  This is a solid, evangelical work that focuses on the theological flow of the gospel. It also gives a consistent exposition of the text.

Kostenberger, Andreas J.
John: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004) A detailed study of the text with great background information.  He will help you divide the text into manageable units with deep explanation of each passage.

Bloomberg, Craig L.
The Historical Reliability of John’s Gospel: Issues and Commentary (Downers Grove: Inter-varsity Press, 2002) A conservative commentary that addresses issues others have had with the text.  The commentary is good as well as helpful in building a sermon.

Williamson, Lamar
Preaching the Gospel of John (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004) At the end of each chapter there are several possibilities for preaching the text.  This commentary was designed with preachers in mind.

Bruce, F.F.
The Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994) You simply have to list this because it is a classic.  Before Bruce died he had memorized the entire Bible in its original language (go home and try that).  This is an easy to read, nontechnical commentary that is very useful to the pastor’s study.

While reading these, I am also reading through about a dozen commentaries, little by little, on the Gospel of John.  This is preparation for preaching a series on this wonderful Gospel that was written for the church in particular.  I invite you to join me in beginning this year free from the stress and the anxiety that the news can often bring, while challenging yourself spiritually and mentally by reading something very beneficial and helpful.  You will be surprised at how the month will fly, and you will be pleased with how this little discipline every day for 31 days will change your attitude, thoughts, and feelings.