Reading God’s Word Today, by George Martin, is a clear, thoughtful, and eminently readable book on getting the most out of spending time reading Scripture. Though brief (less than 200 pages), it is by no means short on substance. Though written from a Catholic perspective, it is one of the few books, besides the Bible itself, I sincerely wish I could place into the hands of every Christian, Protestant and Catholic alike!
The book is divided into two parts, the first providing a model for how to read Scripture and the second focusing on how God reveals himself to us through it. Martin is quick to point out that Scripture is to be read in the Christian life devotionally–that is, as part of the ongoing, daily conversation between the Christian and God. The point to spending time daily in God’s Word is not to check off boxes on a reading plan or read through the entire Bible in x number of days. Instead, we are reminded of the importance of taking our time meditating on the words of Scripture, mulling over them that we might not only understand what we read but that we might truly hear God’s voice speaking to us through them. The approach Martin outlines is the classic, time-tested Christian practice called lectio divina (holy reading), which consists of four parts: reading, understanding, listening, and praying. The point, as he succinctly writes, “is to help Scripture ‘come alive’ for us.”
The second half of the book discusses the proper understanding of Scripture as the Word of God revealed to humanity. Martin explores God’s use of inspired human agent in the process of divine revelation and how the Bible consequently revels God to us and recreates us, by the power of the Spirit, into his people. In this section, he anticipates some common questions and objections about the origin of Scripture, discusses the necessity of understanding the background and cultural setting (especially of the Old Testament), and points out how the infant church was impacted by both Jesus’ teachings and the writings of the Apostles.
This little work is a very practical, wonderfully helpful book and a gift given to the body of Christ from Martin’s pen. Every believer at every stage of their Christian life would benefit from reading this book…and then reading it again later on to be reminded of its great truths. As a Christian, this book reminded me of the great treasure we have be been given by God in the Holy Scriptures–I read it, marked it, and re-read it. As a chaplain, this is one of the books I hope to be able to make available to all I encounter from day to day, whether Protestant or Catholic. As a parent, besides Holy Scripture and our Catechisms, I will definitely work through Reading God’s Word Today with my children that their understanding of God’s Word might be deepened.
You can purchase this book here.
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Back in early July, the folks at Thomas Nelson were kind enough to send me a review copy of Richard Stearns’ new book, The Hole in Our Gospel. It has taken me this long to read and review it, not because of busyness or some other excuse, but because Stearns (the President of World Vision U.S.) is a powerful writer who truly made me consider the complacency that has long plagued American Evangelical Christianity…the complacency that has all to often plagued me in my Christian walk. His penetrating look at the living out of a truly biblical Christian faith begins in the Introduction, where he writes:
The dog days of summer came early this year to southeast Texas and with them came requests from family and friends for summer reading recommendations. If you or your teens are looking for a series of fantastic thrillers, let me wholeheartedly recommend Robert Liparulo’s Dreamhouse Kings series. These books follow the cliffhanging, time-traveling adventures of the King family after they move to a new house in a new town, only to find the home contains eerie portals to other times and places. What should pose great adventure for the King children turns quickly to terror as a trespasser from one of the portals kidnaps their mother…beginning one of the most harrowing rescue missions ever!
In the Footsteps of Paul is a breathtaking collection of photos chronicling the life of the Apostle Paul. Through his camera lens, Ken Duncan has traveled through Israel, Turkey, Greece, and other locations to give readers a stunning glimpse into the places where Paul lived, worked, preached, and traveled.
Helping Those Who Hurt: A Handbook for Caring and Crisis is a purse/backpack/satchel-sized treasure trove of practical, biblical information for reaching out in the name of Christ to those in very difficult situations. Barbara Roberts, the author, has more than two decades of experience in crisis ministry and offers readers concise and wise counsel for ministering in a variety of crisis situations, including: hospital visits, death/dying, aging, relationship problems, addiction, and abuse. Potential readers should not let the books small size mislead you–this book is jam-packed with practical information to help you understand what the troubled individuals are going through as well as godly, Christ-centered advice on how to reach out and provide care.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Jonathan Mead, he blogs at 
