One of the privileges of working at PRTS is the weekly arrival of new books to supplement our library of 70,000+ books. Here are the new picks this week.

Note: Inclusion in the library does not necessarily mean endorsement of contents. We often have to buy books to help students with specialist theses and also to train students to think critically. Also, a book new to the library does not necessarily mean a new book on the market.

For your non-Kindle book buying needs please consider using Reformation Heritage Books in the USA and Reformed Book Services in Canada. Good value prices and shipping.

When Shepherds Weep: Finding Tears of Joy for Wounded Pastors by Glenn C. Daman

“The purpose of this book is to help pastors regain their spiritual perspective in the trials of ministry by understanding how suffering is used by God to develop the pastor and the church. It comes along wounded pastors to offer comfort and encouragement.”

A Theology for Christian Education by James R. Estep, Michael Anthony, and Greg Allison

“A Theology for Christian Education dedicates chapters to examining particular doctrines and their implications for Christian education. It is the only serious academic text to offer a systematic presentation of the intersection of theology and Christian education from a conservative evangelical perspective.”

Reasons for Our Hope by H. Wayne House and Dennis W. Jowers

“Reasons for Our Hope offers a sophisticated yet accessible guide to ‘destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and . . . taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:5).”

Two Biographies of William Bedell: Bishop of Kilmore, With a Selection of His Letters and an Unpublished Treatise by E. S. Shuckburgh

I Will Lift My Eyes Unto the Hills: Learning from the Great Prayers of the Old Testament by Walter C. Kaiser Jr.

“All Christian desire to pray more effectively. What better way to learn how to pray than to study the great prayers of the Old Testament… This book is an answer to the prayer, ‘Lord, teach us to pray.’”

Walther’s Works: All Glory to God by C. F. W. Walther

“Encounter the final, mature systematic theology of C. F. W. Walther, first president of the LCMS. In no other work did Walther set forth his own theology as comprehensively as he did here. This volume is especially significant for its teaching on predestination and its defense of Lutheran doctrine as that which gives ‘all glory to God’.”

The West and China in Africa: Civilization without Justice by Alemayehu Mekonnen

“The West and China in Africa: Civilization without Justice is an outcome of Dr. Alemayehu Mekonnen’s personal intellectual struggle, life experience, and an attempt to understand Christ and his message within the cultural context of Africa.”

Born This Way?: Homosexuality, Science, and the Scriptures by J. Alan Branch

“In Born This Way?, the author surveys the most common scientific arguments in favor of homosexuality and respond to pro-homosexual arguments. A review of the research will show that, while there are some genetic or biological factors that correlate with a higher incidence of same-sex attraction and homosexual behavior, as of yet there is no proof of genetic or biological causation for homosexuality.”

Justification: God’s Plan & Paul’s Vision by N. T. Wright

“For Wright, what Paul means by justification is nothing less than God’s unswerving commitment to the covenant promise he made to bless the whole world through Abraham and his family. This irenic response is an important contribution for those on both sides of the debate―and those still in between―to consider. Whether you’re a fan of Wright’s work or have read his critics and would like to know the other side of the story, here is a chance to interact with Wright’s views on the issues at stake and form your own conclusions.”

Christian Bioethics: A Guide for Pastors, Health Care Professionals, and Families by C. Ben Mitchell and D. Joy Riley

“The book examines these topics under three general headings: the taking of life, the making of life, and the faking of life. Christian Bioethics is a guidebook for pastors, health care professionals and families—anyone facing difficult decisions about health care.”

Disaster Ministry Handbook by Jamie D. Aten and David M. Boan

“When disasters happen, people turn to local churches as centers for response and assistance. When floods or tornadoes devastate an area, or when shootings and violence shock a community, knowing what to do can be the difference between calm and chaos, courage and fear, life and death. But few churches plan in advance for what they should do— until the storm hits.”

Truth in a Culture of Doubt: Engaging Skeptical Challenges to the Bible by Andreas J. Köstenberger, Darrell L. Bock, and Josh Chatraw

“Truth in a Culture of Doubt takes a closer look at the key arguments skeptical scholars…keep repeating in radio interviews, debates, and in his their popular writings. If you are looking for insightful responses to critical arguments from a biblical perspective, easily accessible and thoughtfully presented, this book is for you.”

Just Show Up: The Dance of Walking through Suffering Together by Kara Tippetts and Jill Lynn Buteyn

“In Just Show Up, Kara and her close friend, Jill Lynn Buteyn, write about what friendship looks like in the midst of changing life seasons, loads of laundry, and even cancer. Whether you are eager to be present to someone going through a difficult time or simply want inspiration for pursuing friends in a new way, this eloquent and practical book explores the gift of silence, the art of receiving, and what it means to just show up.”

Biblical Theology: The Common Grace Covenants Volume 1 by Jeffrey J. Niehaus

“The first of two volumes, this study explores the two common grace covenants: the Adamic and Noahic. The second volume will examine the special grace covenants: the Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and New covenants. The volumes present covenant as an expression of the nature of God, and show a paradigm of activity by which God works in covenantal relations first to create the world and then, through a redemptive program after the fall, to redeem what was lost.”

The Anabaptists and Contemporary Baptists: Restoring New Testament Christianity edited by Malcolm B. Yarnel

“A study of the lives and theology of evangelical Anabaptists encourages a reader to dig deeper into the Bible, count the cost of discipleship to Jesus Christ, and commit oneself to engaging the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Blogs

Credo Magazine: Preach the Word
“In this issue of Credo Magazine we aim to help pastors and churchgoers alike recover a love for Bible-preaching. Several contemporary pastors explain what expositional preaching is, why it matters so much, and how churches today can recover the expository sermon in the pulpit.”

Stop Slandering Public School Teachers | Tim Challies
“The last ten years have made me realize that many Christians speak unfairly about public school teachers. They may even speak slanderously.”

Two Most Important Elements of Preaching | Shawn Lovejoy, The Exchange
“Too many pastors are saying all the right things but lack the two most important things: PASSION and AUTHORITY.”

The Friendless Flatterer | Mark Jones, Reformation21
“One of the most publicly and socially acceptable sins is flattery. That’s why it is also such a dangerous sin.”

Andrew Fuller’s Case for Biblical Theology | Prince on Preaching
“It is a fact which must have struck every attentive reader, that God has not communicated his mind to us by giving us a set of principles, arranged in the form of a scheme; or that we have no such creed as formally includes all the things necessary to be believed in either the Old or New Testament. On the contrary, we see Divine truth introduced rather incidentally than systematically. It is scattered from one end to the other, through all the historical, devotional, prophetic, and epistolary writings.”

Feeding on Christ 5 Rules of Social Media Engagement | Nicholas T. Batzig, Feeding on Christ
“Five rules of engagements about what and when to say something online”

Why Are Some Academics So Unprofessional? | Rob Jenkins, The Chronicle of Higher Education
“Are academics the most unprofessional professionals in the world? Sometimes it seems that way.”

Blood Work: How the Blood of Christ Accomplishes Our Salvation Free eBook |Ligonier Ministries
“Reformation Trust is making the ebook edition of Anthony Carter’s Blood Work: How the Blood of Christ Accomplishes Our Salvation free to download until the end of the month. We encourage you to share this resource offer with your family, friends, and church community.”

New Book

For your non-Kindle book buying needs please consider using Reformation Heritage Books in the USA and Reformed Book Services in Canada. Good value prices and shipping.

A Sad Departure by David J. Randall. The story of how the Church of Scotland accepted gay marriage and clergy and the resulting exodus of godly ministers and members.

Kindle Deals

The Case for Christianity Answer Book by Lee Strobel ($1.99)

Risen: 50 Reasons Why the Resurrection Changed Everything by Steven D. Mathewson ($1.99)

Did Jesus Really Have to Die? by Aaron Armstrong (FREE)

Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling Women by Patricia A. Miller ($1.99)

The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914 by Christopher Clark ($1.99). Lessons for today as we face the threat of radical Islam.

The Freemasons: A History of the World’s Most Powerful Secret Society by Jasper Ridley ($1.99). Gets good reviews as a balanced look at this influential group.

Video

Nurse and patient switch roles decades after first meeting
Should encourage pastors and trainers of pastors too.

Blogs

The Sweetness of a Man’s Friend | Allan Murray, Right With God
“Friends have become a very important part of modern life: but not in the way that previous generations had friends.”

Should Kids be Allowed in a Major League Clubhouse? | DanNaulty.com
My friend Dan Naulty writes about Adam LaRoche’s testimony to Christian fathers.”

A Gentle Political Recalibration for Christians | Erik Raymond, TGC
Eric wants us all the Trumpers and Cruzers to calm down a bit:

You might think my expectations are too low. Perhaps they are. But perhaps your expectations are too high and your foundation a bit more American than biblical. It is easy to get stirred up from the news stations but it is hard to pray and be content in God. Faithfully pray for your leaders, pursue peace, advance the gospel, and rejoice in God’s kindness to you-even through unbelieving men and women.

Three Resources Leaders Must Steward Wisely | Eric Geiger
“Leaders have time, energy, and money at their disposal, but they only have a finite amount of each. Therefore, leaders must steward these three resources wisely.”

Season 7, Episode 6: Achieve More By Sleeping More [Podcast] | Michael Hyatt
In this episode, Michael Hyatt and Michele Cushatt discuss eight tips for reclaiming the rest that we so desperately need. You can read a transcript here.

The Call of God | Barry York, Gentle Reformation
Several young men have approached me as of late who are wrestling with the call of God on their lives regarding ministry…As I interacted with them personally about these questions and others, memories were stirred of my own struggles many years ago with this same matter.

New Book

Preaching with Spiritual Power: Calvin’s Understanding of Word and Spirit in Preaching by Ralph Cunnington

Kindle Deals

The Psalter Reclaimed: Praying and Praising with the Psalms by Gordon Wenham ($4.99)

Going Beyond the Five Points: Pursuing a More Comprehensive Reformation edited by Rob Ventura ($2.99)

Jesus the Son of God: A Christological Title Often Overlooked, Sometimes Misunderstood, and Currently Disputed by D. A. Carson ($2.99)

Praying the Bible by Donald S. Whitney ($4.99)

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer ($1.99). A New York Times bestseller.

Video

8-year-old ballerina doesn’t let prosthetic leg hold her back
I’m not posting this for the dancing but for the insightful comments about identity which backs up what I wrote yesterday in This is how I see myself. If you’re being tempted to let your trials and troubles define you, remember these challenging words from Alissa Sizemore:

My family encouraged me to be myself, and that I was still me, with or without my leg.

This has changed my life, but it hasn’t changed me.

Blogs

Freedom from the Performance Treadmill | Counseling One Another
Ever felt like this?

“I had been finding myself constantly frustrated and, at times, depressed. I thought of myself only as a constant failure who could never measure up to my perfectionist expectations and, therefore, did not feel fully accepted by God.”

Find out which book set Paul free.

The Gospel in a Handshake | Gentle Reformation
This is a phenomenal story about the Nazi’s who were converted to Christ while on death row through the ministry of a Christian chaplain.

“Here is the wonder of Christ’s work on the cross. You can’t be too bad for forgiveness. There is grace for the worst of sinners. The damnation Sauckel, Frick, Ribbentrop, Keitel and I deserved was taken by God the Son.”

8 Points from the American College of Pediatricians on Gender Identity in Children | TGC
Here’s an important statement which should help you navigate this treacherous issue:

“Conditioning children into believing a lifetime of chemical a nd surgical impersonation of the opposite sex is normal and healthful is child abuse.”

17 Things You Should NEVER Say to Employees | Selma Wilson
I’d shorten this list a bit but agree with most of it:

“Your position puts you in a place to encourage, build up, develop, challenge, coach, train, and teach. It also puts you in a place that can cause others to lose heart, lose hope, give up, and to even be deeply hurt with scars that last for years or a lifetime. Be aware of the weight of your words on people.”

21 Things All Great Leaders Do | Carey Nieuwhof
Not all applicable to pastoral ministry, perhaps, but challenging nonetheless:

“Just because you have the instincts for leadership doesn’t make you a great leader. Great leadership is also about cultivating the right habits and disciplines.”

One Hundred Times as Much | Gentle Reformation
A great Helen Roseveare story to illustrate Mark 10:23-31 about leaving lands, etc., for Christ’s sake and receiving back a hundred times more.

30 Thoughts on Our 50 Days Overseas | Kevin DeYoung
Funny and perceptive commentary from Kevin DeYoung on his seven-week family trip to the UK.

New Book

A Clearing of the Mists: In Pursuit of Wisdom upon the Scottish Hills by Martin Haworth.

The mountains of Scotland have long drawn people to their rugged peaks and rolling tops. Drawn by the physical quest, the desire for solitude or for many, the deeper search for purpose and meaning in their life experience. Martin C. Haworth was drawn to wild places, searching for that connection with something pure and great. In that search, he has known the spiritual glimpses that God communicates to us through the awe-inspiring grandeur of wild places. Join him in this devotional journey through the Scottish hills.

Kindle Books

NKJV Study Bible, eBook: Full-Color Edition $2.99. Especially good on a Tablet.

Why We Pray by William Philip $4.99.

The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived by Justin Taylor and Andreas Kostenberger $3.99.

Confessions of a Depressed Christian: How a Pastor Survived Depression & How You Can Too by Jason McNaughten $0.99.

Videos

What Christians Just Don’t Get About LGBT Folk | Rosaria Butterfield
Where would so many of us be on this issue without Rosaria’s insight and counsel?

This post is from my assistant, Sarah Perez, who was recommended to me by EA Help. She has been working with me for over a year and a half, helping me with research, appointments, travel arrangements, blog maintenance, etc. Sarah works from home (in California) and has two young children, ages 3 1/2 and 9 months. The She Shed article sparked a conversation between us, and I asked her to write about how she has learned to manage a beneficial routine with her children, how she has incorporated time for the children to play by themselves, helping her to maintain good mental and emotional health.

After David wrote in The She Shed about how his kids had a set aside time to play alone each day, I asked him, “Have you heard of Baby Wise?”

Baby Wise is a book written by Gary Ezzo and pediatrician Dr. Robert Bucknam (some of you may know of Ezzo from the Growing Kids God’s Way curriculum). The book offers a method of caring for your babies and young children that involves establishing regular routines to ensure your baby is sleeping well, eating well, and playing well. Throughout my time as David’s assistant, I’ve become very familiar with his work and had laughed to myself before about how similar his material on adult self-care reminds me of the baby-care outlined in Baby Wise! I’m here today to offer the moms in David’s readership a brief summary.

A Baby Wise Summary

The core of Baby Wise is the routine, and the authors point especially to the benefits of proper sleep habits. When your child is a newborn, you begin by establishing a regular routine of Eat-Wake-Sleep. Some babies will fall into this very naturally and others will never look exactly textbook, but the routine itself remains valuable. Just as your preschooler or 3rd grader thrives on the routine her teacher has in place at school, your baby will thrive on the routine you establish at home.

The authors call this routine “parent-directed.” This is in contrast to being completely child-led or completely clock-led. Parent-directed falls in the middle – the parent takes into account both clock time and the child’s current needs to make an informed decision on what needs to be done. When the routine is established, it truly takes out a lot of guess work when your baby starts fussing. You know when he’ll probably be hungry, sleepy, or when he might just need a change of scenery. Likewise, when the basics are consistently covered, it will be easier to tell when something is truly wrong. As the baby gets older, the routine will transition seamlessly to appropriate set times for feeding and sleeping. Having consistency in place can bring security and confidence for both Mom and Baby.

In terms of your self care, the routine ensures you will have pockets of time you can use to recharge. Kids are kids — there are always going to be surprises, but you will know with reasonable certainty what time things are going to happen each day. You can schedule appointments, manage the household, carve out quiet time with God, and above all, simply minimize the craziness!

The routine becomes even more valuable with multiple children. The older children are more flexible, and with a little pre-planning, you can match things up so that everybody is in sync. For me, this means that (among other things) I can schedule video meetings with David and be relatively certain we won’t be disturbed.

Solo Playtime

When managing your child’s day, the Baby Wise series suggests adding in Independent Playtime, just like David talked about in “The She Shed.” I learned most about Independent Playtime from this Baby Wise blog, and it became something I implemented early on with both children. In my family, we call it “Solo Playtime” because that’s a lot easier for a young child to say.

Just as it is good for adults to have some time alone each day, it’s good for children, too. When your child has solo playtime, it gives her a chance to learn how to entertain herself, to exercise independence, to use creativity, and to develop her attention span. Furthermore, for introverted children, this is a necessary time to recharge! For you, it is another pocket of time when you can take care of yourself, your home, or read your favorite book.

You can truly start this practice as early as you want. For a young baby, this is simply giving the baby a few minutes each day on the play mat in which you are out of his line of sight. If the baby is not your first child, this is probably happening anyway! If needed, you can even put the mat in the playpen and walk away.

If you have never established Solo Playtime with your child, I suggest starting with about 15 minutes and growing from there (maybe even less for the very young). Be sure your expectations are realistic. You can’t expect a 9 month old to handle an hour at a time, but you can expect that of a child. I suggest finding a regular time in the day’s routine when your child is well-rested and well-fed. And, it should go without saying, but make sure the space is safe — babies in a playpen or crib with a few safe toys, children in a thoroughly child-proofed room. Use a baby monitor if needed to hear what’s going on.

I like to use a timer on my phone to set a clear boundary for solo playtime. My 3 1/2 year old daughter plays alone in her room for about 45 minutes each day (although after reading David’s article, I think I might try a whole hour!) and when the timer goes off, she knows she can come out. She loves getting to press the button to start and stop the timer, and by keeping it with me on my phone, I can adjust the time up or down as needed.

If you are interested in learning more about Baby Wise, you can buy the book here or check out this blog. A word of caution — when you embark on routine setting for your family and children, it is easy to get obsessive, especially if you’re the type of personality that already thrives on structure and routine. Remember that the purpose is to minimize the craziness, not add to it! Pray for wisdom, flexibility, and peace. Work with your kids’ natural tendencies, not against them. And remember that more than any other worldly advice, as wise as it may be, follow first the Good Shepherd who gently leads along the mother sheep with their young (Isaiah 40:11).

One of the privileges of working at PRTS is the weekly arrival of new books to supplement our library of 70,000+ books. Here are the new picks this week.

Note: Inclusion in the library does not necessarily mean endorsement of contents. We often have to buy books to help students with specialist theses and also to train students to think critically. Also, a book new to the library does not necessarily mean a new book on the market.

Global Church: Reshaping Our Conversations, Renewing Our Mission, Revitalizing Our Churches by Graham Hill

“Christianity seems to be in decline in the West. But many churches in Asia, Africa, Latin America and other parts of the Majority World are growing rapidly. Western Christianity can no longer claim to be the center of the global church. Before long, two-thirds of Christians will live in Asia, Africa and Latin America. What does this mean for global Christian mission?”

Transforming Homosexuality: What the Bible Says about Sexual Orientation and Change by Denny Burk and Heath Lambert

“What does it mean for homosexuality to be transformed? Denny Burk and Heath Lambert challenge misconceptions on all sides as they present biblical answers on sexual orientation and change. Ultimately, hope rests not in heterosexuality, human effort, or willpower, but in Christ.”

An Historical Account of My Own Life, Vol. 1 of 2: With Some Reflections on the Times I Have Lived in (1671-1731) by Edmund Calamy

“Dr. Calamy has been long distinguished by his Defences of English Protestant Nonconformity, and by his very interesting biographies of Nonconformists.

Dictionary of Daily Life in Biblical and Post-Biblical Antiquity: A-Da by Edwin M. Yamauchi and Marvin R. Wilson

“Most Bible dictionaries on the market today completely miss a number of cultural and sociological issues of interest to the study of the Scriptures. The Dictionary of Biblical and Post-Biblical Antiquity aims to correct this. Written by a world-class historian and a highly respected biblical scholar, this unique reference work provides background information on the world of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament from 2000 BC to approximately AD 600.”

Encyclopedie Nadere Reformatie by WJ op ‘t Hof

For those of you up on your Dutch. “The first part of the three-volume encyclopedia about the Reformation… The first part contains hundreds of mini-biographies of the men and women who directly or indirectly have played a role in one of the most exciting trends in the Dutch church history.”

Great Commission, Great Compassion: Following Jesus and Loving the World by Paul Borthwick

“Go and do. Jesus commands it, and the world needs it. Word and deed go together. One without the other is not enough. We follow Jesus into all the world, and we follow his example in all we do.”

The Radical Pursuit of Rest: Escaping the Productivity Trap by John Koessler

“We live in a culture that values activity, achievement and accomplishment. Whether in our careers, churches, schools or families, busyness is the norm in our lives, and anything less makes us feel unproductive and anxious. We have to work all the harder, then, to pursue true rest in a 24-7 world that is constantly in motion.”

Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey by Craig L. Blomberg

“Jesus and the Gospels prepares readers for an intensive study of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the events they narrate. Craig Blomberg considers the historical context of the Gospels and sheds light on the confusing interpretations brought forth over the last two centuries.”

Contending with Christianity’s Critics: Answering New Atheists and Other Objectors edited by William Lane Craig and Paul Copan

“Contending with Christianity’s Critics is book two in a series on modern Christian apologetics that began with the popular Passionate Conviction. This second installment, featuring writings from eighteen respected apologists such as Gary Habermas and Ben Witherington, addresses challenges from noted New Atheists like Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion) and other contemporary critics of Christianity concerning belief in God, the historical Jesus, and Christianity’s doctrinal coherence.”

The Shaping of Ulster Presbyterian Belief and Practice, 1770-1840 by Andrew R. Holmes

“This is a historical study of the most influential and important Protestant group in Northern Ireland - the Ulster Presbyterians. Andrew R. Holmes argues that to understand Ulster Presbyterianism is to begin to understand the character of Ulster Protestantism more generally and the relationship between religion and identity in present-day Northern Ireland.”

Abandoning America: Life-stories from early New England by Susan Hardman Moore

“Abandoning America brings together the biographies of hundreds of people who crossed over to New England in the 1630s but later braved the Atlantic again to return home. Some went back quickly, disenchanted or discouraged. Many invested everything to make New England a success, yet after ten or twenty years resolved to leave America – against a backdrop of civil war and Cromwell’s commonwealth in England, and personal dilemmas about family ties, health and prospects.”

Builders of the Chinese Church: Pioneer Protestant Missionaries and Chinese Church Leaders by G. Wright Doyle

“From 1807, when the first Protestant missionary arrived in China, to the 1920s, when a new phase of growth began, thousands of missionaries and Chinese Christians labored, often under very adverse conditions, to lay the groundwork for a solid, healthy, and self-sustaining Chinese church. Following an Introduction that sets the scene and surveys the entire period, Builders of the Chinese Church contains the stories of nine leading pioneers–seven missionaries and two Chinese…”

After Imperialism: Christian Identity in China and the Global Evangelical Movement by Richard R. Cook

“…in May 2008 over a dozen evangelical scholars (Chinese and Western) from the United States, Hong Kong and Taiwan, came together to address issues of Christian and evangelical identity. The “Inter-Cultural Theological Conversation” was titled “Beyond Our Past: Bible, Cultural Identity, and the Global Evangelical Movement.” This collection of papers from the conference demonstrates the value of the careful balancing of judicious appropriation of the social sciences and thorough biblical inquiry.”

Wise Man from the East: Lit-sen Chang (Zhang Lisheng): Critique of Indigenous Theology; Critique of Humanism by Lit-sen Chang, edited and translated by G. Wright Doyle, translated by Samuel Ling

“How should Christianity relate to Chinese culture? That question has engaged the minds of both Chinese and Western Christians for several centuries. Lit-sen Chang (1904-1996) was brought up as a Buddhist and educated in the Confucian classics as well as in modern political philosophy. He later delved deeply into Daoism as well. After World War II, he founded Jiangnan University in order to “exterminate” Christianity and revive Eastern religion. Conversion to Christianity in 1950 radically altered the course of his life… His Critique of Indigenous Theology and Critique of Humanism are published here in English for the first time, and provide excellent examples of his wide learning, insightful analysis, powerful writing, and firm commitment to historic Christianity.”

On the Road to Siangyang: Covenant Mission in Mainland China 1890-1949 by Jack R. Lundbom

“On the Road to Siangyang tells the story of a Swedish immigrant church in America undertaking, soon after its organization, a mission to central China that would last nearly sixty years, from 1890 to 1949, when Christian missionaries had to leave the Chinese Mainland upon the establishment of the People’s Republic.”

John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress: Themes and Issues by Barry Horner

“In this volume Barry Horner highlights the major themes running through the allegory and discusses important issues concerning its relevance and how best to make it known in the twenty-first century. He shows how, rightly understood and suitably presented, The Pilgrim’s Progress has a vital message for today’s generation and is a most valuable tool both for evangelism and for encouraging the spiritual growth of believers.”

The Heart of Revelation: Understanding the 10 Essential Themes of the Bible’s Final Book by J. Scott Duvall

“Taking a thematic approach to Revelation, Duvall helps you focus on the vision of hope Revelation provides believers by exploring the biblical themes of God, worship, the people of God, the Holy Spirit, our mission, the Lamb of God, judgment, perseverance, and more, allowing you to understand and apply the message of Revelation-right here, right now.”