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On my Christmas list this year is From Heaven He Came And Sought Her.

The book even has its own website!

One of the most beautiful doctrines in Scripture is that of Christ's substitutionary and definite atonement (You cannot have one without the other!). When Christ died he did more than make salvation a potentiality. When Christ died, atonement was gloriously accomplished for all the elect. And yet even though the doctrine of Christ's definite atonement is quite clear in Scripture it is routinely rejected. This volume seeks to accurately explain and winsomely defend what the Bible teaches about the question: For whom did Christ die?

From the publisher:

Includes contributions from Michael A. G. Haykin, Paul Helm, Lee Gatiss, Carl R. Trueman, Paul R. Williamson, J. Alec Motyer, Thomas R. Schreiner, Donald Macleod, Robert Letham, Stephen J. Wellum, Henri A. G. Blocher, Sinclair B. Ferguson, John Piper, and more.

There is a palpable sense of confusion—and sometimes even embarrassment—with regard to so-called limited atonement today, pointing to the need for thoughtful engagement with this controversial doctrine.

Incorporating contributions from a host of respected theologians, From Heaven He Came and Sought Her stands as the first comprehensive resource on definite atonement as it examines the issue from historical, biblical, theological, and pastoral perspectives.

Offering scholarly insights for those seeking a thorough and well-researched discussion, this book will encourage charitable conversations as it winsomely defends this foundational tenet of Reformed theology.

 “I cannot imagine that this book could have been published twenty-five years ago: there were not at that time enough well-informed theologians working in the Reformed heritage to produce a volume of such clarity and competence. Whatever side you hold in this debate, henceforth you dare not venture into the discussion without thoughtfully reading this book, which, mercifully, makes argument by stereotype and reductionism a great deal more difficult. Above all, this book will elicit adoration as its readers ponder afresh what Jesus achieved on the cross.”
—D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“For whom did Christ die? This volume makes a fresh and impressively comprehensive case for definite atonement as the answer true to Scripture. It shows convincingly, through multi-authored contributions, (1) that the issues of the extent of the atonement and its nature cannot be separated—penal substitution, at the heart of why Christ had to die, stands or falls with definite atonement; and (2) how definite atonement alone provides for a gospel offer of salvation from sin that is genuinely free. In engaging various opposing views on this much-disputed topic, the editors seek to do so in a constructive and irenic spirit, an effort in which they and the other authors have succeeded admirably.”
—Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology, Emeritus, Westminster Theological Seminary

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I am excited to see the publication of Thy Word is Still Truth.

“The embattled title casts this book as an apologia for Westminster Seminary’s stand in a recent internal debate. Yes, it is all of that, but it is a great deal more. It is a massive array of extracts from major writers over five centuries, demonstrating both the breadth, strength, clarity, humility, and rootedness of international Reformed bibliology according to its historic confessional self-understanding, and also the insightful energy with which Westminster’s own scholars have labored to vindicate the Reformed position as catholic Christian truth. The book excels as a resource for study and a witness to Westminster’s integrity.”
- J. I. Packer, Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia

“We have needed this book for a long time. In Thy Word Is Still Truth, Peter Lillback and Richard Gaffin have drawn together the comprehensive witness of the church on behalf of the total truthfulness and inerrancy of Scripture. No serious reader can doubt the case for inerrancy made so consistently and clearly in these pages, and no serious defender of Scripture can be without this vital volume that amounts to the most massive arsenal of documentation for the inerrancy of Scripture ever assembled in a single book.”
- R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY

“Since its founding in 1929, Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia has specialized in the doctrine of Scripture. Nearly everyone who has taught there over the years has made some contribution to the subject. The Westminster faculty published three collections of essays on Scripture: The Infallible Word (1946), Scripture and Confession (1973), and Inerrancy and Hermeneutic (1988). The present volume, however, is a contribution of a higher order. It not only republishes some of the best articles from the previous collections, but contains important writings on biblical authority from the Reformation and post-Reformation periods (including the churches’ creedal statements) down to the present day. There are articles from the faculty of Old Princeton, from which Westminster takes its bearings, articles on controversial matters, and articles describing the rationale for Westminster’s distinctive emphasis on biblical theology. And the volume is honest in facing up to the recent controversy over Scripture at Westminster itself and the seminary’s forthright response reaffirming biblical inerrancy. Throughout the years, I have been moved again and again by Westminster’s willingness to stand against the world and for the Word of God. The issue before the world today, as in the garden of Eden, is ‘Has God said?’ I know of no body of literature that can be of more help to people wrestling with this vital question.”
- John M. Frame, J. D. Trimble Chair of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando

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I'm looking forward to getting my hands on Dr. Tom Nettles new biography of Charles Spurgeon: Living By Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

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Crossway has begun publishing an excellent series of what I would call spiritual biographies. It began with Fred Zaspel's excellent B.B. Warfield On The Christian Life. I am currently reading Bill Edgar's volume on Francis Schaeffer and am very much looking forward to Carl Trueman's contribution on Martin Luther.

Here are the current and future titles:

B.B. Warfield on the Christian Life by Fred Zaspel (March 2012)

Francis Schaeffer on the Christian Life by William Edgar (February 2013)

Dietrich Bonhoeffer on the Christian Life by Stephen Nichols (June 2013)

John Wesley on the Christian Life by Fred Sanders (August 2013)

John Calvin on the Christian Life by Michael Horton (June 2014)

John Owen on the Christian Life by Michael Haykin and Matthew Barrett (June 2014)

Martin Luther on the Christian Life by Carl Trueman (August 2014)

Jonathan Edwards on the Christian Life by Dane Ortlund (February 2015)

John Bunyan on the Christian Life by Derek Thomas (April 2015)

John Newton on the Christian Life by Tony Reinke (June 2015)

Herman Bavinck on the Christian Life by John Bolt (August 2015)

J. I. Packer on the Christian Life by Sam Storms (October 2015)

Charles Spurgeon on the Christian Life by Michael Reeves (unknown)

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Here are a few new titles worth checking out...

Living in the Light of Inextinguishable Hope
by Iain Duguid
The latest volume in the outstanding series The Gospel According to the Old Testament

Journey To Joy: The Psalms of Ascent
by Josh Moody

Rebels Rescued
by Brian Cosby
I really enjoy Cosby's writing. This is an excellent book to get into the hands of older high schoolers or university students.

66 Books, One Story: A Family Guide to Every Book of the Bible
by Paul Reynolds

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Reading up on HOPE...

The One Year Book of Hope by Nancy Guthrie

Too Good To Be True by Michael Horton

Hope: The Best Of Things by Joni Eareckson Tada

Night Of Weeping, Morning Of Joy by Horatius Bonar

The Last Enemy by Michael Witmer

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Justin Taylor has posted a list of one-volume histories of the Protestant Reformation. I have read each of his selections and can tell you that they are all excellent. If I could recommend only one on the list I would probably go with Michael Reeves' The Unquenchable Flame. It is a great read.

The final title by Carl Trueman is not so much a history of the Reformation as are the other books in the list. It is, however engaging and timely. I say timely because Dr. Trueman explains the continuing relevance of the Reformation and why it still matters to be Protestant. If that does not sound "relevant" to you then I encourage you to read it.

From Justin Taylor:

Carl Trueman explains the basic textbooks he assigns in his Reformation classes and ultimately recommends for us Diarmaid MacCulloch’s The Reformation: A History:

MacCulloch is one of the best Reformation historians alive and this is what I would call a brilliant, scholarly beach read—well-constructed explanatory narrative history, rooted in profound and accurate scholarship, laid out in the grand epic style. My guess is that Ref21 readers wanting a good, scholarly, readable history of the Reformation—and one which will not break the bank—should buy this.

What follows are some shorter and less expensive introductions to the Reformation:

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Michael Reeves, The Unquenchable Flame: Discovering the Heart of the Reformation.

Read for free the table of contents, Mark Dever’s foreword, and chapter 1.

“With the skill of a scholar and the art of a storyteller, Michael Reeves has written what is, quite simply, the best brief introduction to the Reformation I have read. If you’ve been looking for a book to help you understand the Reformation, or just to begin to study church history, this little book brings history to life.”
—Mark Dever

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Stephen J. Nichols, The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World.
Read for free the table of contents, the introduction and chapter 1, as well as chapter 6.

“Professor Stephen Nichols is already well-known for his remarkable ability to make history live and sing. This new work is no exception and will simply enhance his well-deserved reputation. It is a scintillating helicopter tour of the amazing men—and wonderful women—of the Reformation. Here conviction joins with courage, holiness with humor, in a wonderful medley of Christian heroes and heroines.”
—Sinclair B. Ferguson

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Kirsten Birkett, The Essence of the Reformation.
In addition to Dr. Birkett’s overview of the Reformation, this book includes excerpts from classic works by Luther, Calvin, and Crammer.

Read for free the preface, the table of contents, all of part 1, and portions from the classics.

“I do not know any book that more succinctly gets across, in readable prose, what the Reformation was about. This new edition combines Birkett’s superb text with some judiciously selected primary documents. This is a book to distribute widely among lay leaders and other Christians who want to be informed of the heritage of the gospel that has come down to us.”
—D. A. Carson

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Carl R. Trueman, Reformation: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

“This fine book should be required reading for all Christians—and especially for those who doubt whether the Protestant Reformation has anything left to say to us in our day. Stating that “the Reformation represents a move to place God as he has revealed himself in Christ at the centre of the church’s life and thought,” Trueman then retrieves Luther’s theology of the cross, argues that because the Reformation “was above all a movement of the Word—incarnate in Christ and written down in the Scriptures,” and because the Spirit works through the Word, “the Word written and the Word preached are both central to Christianity and are not simply cultural forms which can be shed when culture moves on,” and then closes with a chapter on Christian assurance that recognizes our assurance as the foundation for our Christian activity. Along the way, he scatters nugget after nugget of insight into what is core to the Reformation legacy, motivating his readers to embrace this core again.”
—Mark R. Talbot

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P&R Publishing will soon be releasing a new title dealing with the trustworthiness of Scripture. It is entitled Did God Really Say? Affirming The Truthfulness and Trustworthiness of Scripture. The book is edited by Dr. David Garner who is also a contributor.

"Current discussion about the nature of Scripture circles around a plethora of topics, each of them painfully complicated. Here a handful of scholars tackles seven of them -- including the nature and development of the canon, the place of Warfield, God's relation to language, and the views of N. T. Wright. With firmness and fairness, not to say remarkable simplicity, these writers identify the fundamental issues and bring clarity to their joyful confessionalism.
- D. A. Carson

"Just when the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture seemed matters of agreement among conservative theologians, along comes a new day and calls everything into question again. Kudos, then, to David Garner and his panel of writers for addressing the doctrine of Scripture again. Did God Really Say clears away the rubble of contemporary error and prejudice making way for clear thinking and orthodox confession on an issue of vital importance. Nothing could be more vital for our times and we are in their debt.”
- Derek Thomas, Minister of Preaching and Teaching, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC and Distinguished Visiting Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology, RTS

Here are a few more titles dealing with the trustworthiness of Scripture:
Christ And The Bible by John Wenham
Jesus And The Eyewitnesses by Richard Baukham
The Historical Reliability Of The Gospels by Craig Blomberg
On The Reliability Of The Old Testament by K.A. Kitchen

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P&R Publishing has a proven track record of publishing great books. Recently I spent time in three of their newer titles.

Giving Up Gimmicks: Reclaiming Youth Ministry An Entertainment Culture by Brian Cosby
Giving Up Gimmicks is a celebration of the ordinary yet powerful means God has given his church to win the lost and makes disciples. I wish this book had been available to me as a young youth pastor. Although Cosby's views of the sacraments are from an historic Presbyterian perspective, I would encourage every baptist youth pastor to read this book carefully.

"For more than a generation now we have sought to attract and entertain our precious youth rather than nurture them by grace. The majority have responded by turning their backs on the church. Brian Cosby has listened to their heart and is offering us the best biblical guidance we could ever hope to receive."- Michael Card, Award-winning Singer, Songwriter, and Author

7 Toxic Ideas Polluting Your Mind by Anthony Selvaggio
In this helpful book, Anthony Selvaggio examines 7 decidedly unchristian ideas that are commonly held by Christians. He takes us deeper than outward behaviors and helps us to focus on the ideas that fuel them. I think 7 Toxic Ideas is going to end up on my regular list of recommended books.

"By making good things ultimate things -- love becomes lust, rest becomes sloth, and so on -- we fall into what used to be called the seven deadly sins. We have a harder time spotting the seven modern idolatries that Anthony Selvaggio outlines for us, but the process is similar: individuality becomes individualism, equal opportunity becomes egalitarianism, and so on. Seven Toxic Ideas Polluting Your Mind helps us to spot those current tendencies and, with God’s grace, contain them."- Marvin Olasky, Editor-in-chief, WORLD

Lifted: Experiencing the Resurrection Life by Sam Allberry
It is an unfortunate reality that the resurrection of Jesus is a subject that has inexplicably been neglected compared to other important doctrines. Sam Allberry has written a book that seeks to help the reader understand the present power of Jesus' resurrection in the lives of all those who believe. Don't make your consideration of the resurrection of Jesus something that is confined to one Sunday in the Spring. Allberry helps us to understand how our joy, hope, assurance of salvation, and transformation are all tethered to Jesus' resurrection.

"Sam Allberry has written a wonderful book on the significance of the resurrection. Full of great images, clearly organized, encouraging, humorous, biblical, insightful – I could go on. Reading this little volume on a central but neglected topic will benefit your life. If you would like more assurance, transformation, hope and purpose, this book shows you how we get all that from the resurrection of Christ."
- Mark Dever, Pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington DC

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This month, Eerdmans is set to release a book attacking the doctrine of the Scripture's inerrancy. It is surely well written and accessible to the well-read layman. If the author holds to the positions in his previous book and articles for Biologos (all of which attacked the trustworthiness of the Bible) then this new volume will cause unsuspecting readers to question and perhaps even reject the Bible as God's Word.

With that in mind I would like to recommend to you a selection of books which affirm the Bible's trustworthiness as the very Word of God.

The Doctrine Of The Word Of God by John Frame

The Inspiration And Authority Of The Bible by B. B. Warfield

Do Historical Matters Matter To Faith? Hoffmeier & Magary editors

Words Of Life by Timothy Ward

The Erosion Of Inerrancy by Greg Beale

The Infallible Word Stonehouse & Woolley editors

The God-Breathed Scriptures by E. J. Young

The Trustworthiness Of God Trueman & Helm editors

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On the resurrection of Jesus:

The Resurrection Of The Son Of God by N.T. Wright

The Resurrection Of Jesus by Michael Licona

The Meaning Of The Resurrection by Paul Beasley-Murray

Scandalous by D.A. Carson

Lifted: Experiencing The Resurrected Life by Sam Allberry

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I am launching a new feature at 1517 called "The Constant Reader." The goal will be to offer book reviews, recommendations, as well as words of caution concerning problematic books. One of God's good gifts to me as a pastor is the responsibility to study and read. It is a discipline I love and take seriously. I also know that the average non-pastor does not have the time or energy to be fully aware of the best and worst books out there (and there are plenty in both categories). My hope is to to give regular help to anyone interested in better navigating the waters, so to speak.

Here are a few titles that I will soon be weighing in on:

Understanding Scripture, Grudem, Collins, and Schreiner editors

Lifted: Experiencing the Resurrection Life by Sam Allberry

Warfield on the Christian Life by Fred Zaspel

The Renewed Pastor, Melvin Tinker editor

In the meantime, you can check out a review I wrote for Thomas Schreiner's outstanding Magnifying God in Christ - HERE.