Lifted By Angels
Joel J. Miller
Thomas Nelson

Thankfully, Joel Miller has given the Church a book on angels that doesn’t sentimentalize or fictionalize angelic reality, but rather relies on Scripture and the historical perspective of the Church and its leading theologians and pastoral leadership, especially during the first few hundred years, to present a picture that is instructive, edifying and inspiring. Angels here only increase awe for our Triune God and gratitude that he has appointed them as “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Heb 1:14). The book looks at the fall of Satan and of man, the role, purpose, actions, and attributes of angels, how the liturgy on earth reflects angelic worship of God in heaven, and how guardian angels represent God’s care, among many other subjects. The book gives insight into both pre-Christian experience of angels in Scripture and the earliest believers understanding of angels—angels are referenced countless times in both Old and New Testaments. Regardless of your view on the teachings of early Church Fathers such as Clement, Augustine, Basil, Jerome and others on angels, the book can’t help but enrich your faith and ignite renewed wonder for God, his kingdom and his manifold wisdom.

Andrea Hunter

Formation of the Bible
Lee Martin McDonald
Hendrickson Publishers

While flipping through the channels (especially during Christmas or Easter), it is a fairly common occurrence to stumble upon a documentary about one or another writings from the first century that was excluded from the Bible. In a worst-case scenario, our congregations look to their leaders as if the Church has hidden its secrets a la The Da Vinci Code. In the words of Lee McDonald regarding this phenomenon, “It’s encouraging to see a growing interest in how the church got its Bible, but also disheartening to discover how few Christians know anything about the Bible’s origins.” Formation of the Bible is not a book about the movement of the Spirit to inspire the Holy Scriptures; it is a historical account of how the Scriptures were chosen. And it’s fascinating. Reading through is like taking a course on biblical Mythbusting. Deftly, Dr. McDonald leads us through the story of our sacred collection of books—a story that explores such questions as, “Why did ancient humans collect sacred texts?” “What comprised the Scriptures for Jesus?” “What was Constantine’s influence on the canon?” And many more. The fact is many followers of the God of Israel and of Christ wrote their stories down, many still are. And McDonald is a fitting guide to help us understand why some of them are bound in leather and sitting on our bed tables, and why others are nothing more than dust.

Jeremy Armstrong

Chris Seay 
Baker Books

Inclusion is about making room for others, but sometimes that requires making a space in your head and heart first. Chris Seay helps us remember those Jesus never forgot: the poor and the hungry. This 40-day devotional guide is a path to renewed vision, empathy, compassion, and purposeful action. Seay’s challenge to fast and eat like the poor is not about food; rather, it’s about relationship with God and his people. When we make a place at the table for the poor, we’re really making room for God. An accompanying DVD encourages and supports the journey of discovery and grace, inviting small groups and churches along. 

Want to learn more about the book? Watch this video
Check out other videos with Chris Seay here