Christian Authors

I just heard on the radio about the passing today of Chuck Colson, a man who built his first reputation on politics and his second (and more lasting) on the Gospel.  If the name doesn't ring a bell, Colson was one of President Richard Nixon's staff who did some jail time for the Watergate scandal.  While in prison, Colson was born again and went on eventually to found Prison Fellowship. 

Colson was an astute observer of culture and human nature.  When I was a young Christian, around college age, I was deeply influenced by many of the books Colson authored.  He was the one who introduced me to the concept of "worldview" - the way each individual sees the world, whether he can articulate it in words or not.  Colson taught me how much of my own worldview was shaped by American culture and he challenged me to allow Scripture to more fully mold my views. 

I am grateful for his impact on my life and faith.

When I read Colson's books, I always found myself nodding and saying "Yes!"  Well, last week at the pastors' conference I attended in Louisville, I found a new (to me!) author who has me excited and saying, "Yes!" all over again:  John Piper. 

Piper spoke at the conference.  He is a pastor and preacher at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He's written dozens of books and my friend Travis bought me one for my birthday called "Let the Nations be Glad!"  The subtitle is "The Supremacy of God in Missions." 

It's one of those books where I didn't even get through the Preface before I started underlining various sentences.  For now, I just want to record here some of the passages I have underlined:

When Jesus said, "Sell your possessions, and give to the needy" (Luke 12:33), he seemed to imply not that the disciples were wealthy and could give from their overflow.  It seems they had so few liquid assets that they had to sell something in order to have something to give. (Page 23)

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.  This is perhaps the most important sentence in my theology. (Page 50)

"The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).  Missions is not a recruitment project for God's labor force.  It is a liberation project from the heavy burdens and hard yokes of other gods (Matt. 11:28-30). (Page 55)

We cannot know what prayer is for until we know that life is war.  Life is war.  That's not all it is.  But it is always that.  Our weakness in prayer is owing largely to our neglect of this truth.  Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief.  It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den."  (Page 65)



THAT is a powerful analogy: prayer as a walkie-talkie, not a domestic intercom!  That gave me something to chew on for several days.  Could that really be why we find prayer (if we are honest) so often ineffective?  I think Piper has a point here.