Top 20 Books Read for 2016

I should make two clarifications.  First, this is not a list of books written in 2016.  This will be obvious to most.  Second, the title of this post is greatly misleading because I have excluded all books written by C. S. Lewis and all books about C. S. Lewis that I read this year.  Just click on the links to see those posts.  OK, I should also admit that my number one book for this year is connected with C. S. Lewis.
Also, there is one particular and unique book that I do not include in a list such as this, and that is because it belongs on a plane of its own--the Bible.  If you read nothing else, read the Bible.  Read the Bible before you read anything else.  This year (as is my habit of some years now) I read through the Bible.  I chose the English Standard Version.  I try to select a different English translation to read through each year.
One other thing of note.  The final count of books read this year is 143.  This is the most I've read in a single year, and this list comes from those 143 books.
Without further ado, here is my list.

1. A Severe Mercy - Sheldon Vanauken
2. The Two Towers - J. R. R. Tolkien
3. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
4. Tremendous Trifles - G. K. Chesterton
5. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
6. Reading Between the Lines - Gene Edward Veith, Jr.
7. The Power and the Glory - Graham Greene
8. The Princess and Curdie - George MacDonald
9. The Warden - Anthony Trollope
10. Dracula - Bram Stoker
11. The Quotable Chesterton - Kevin Belmonte
12. Tolkien's Ordinary Virtues - Mark Eddy Smith
13. At Home in Mitford - Jan Karon
14. Murder in the Cathedral - T. S. Eliot
15. Pymalion - George Bernard Shaw
16. Bunnicula - Deborah and James Howe
17. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
18. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Jessie L. Weston
19. The Book of the Duchess - Geoffrey Chaucer
20. Electra - Sophocles

Dealing with Depression

When Mr. Toad was down and depressed in prison, the jailer's daughter had pity on him and sought to take care of him.  Having procured her father's permission (which is always a good idea), she knew exactly how to revive Toad's spirit--feed him.
Following a mighty victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah ran fearing Jezebel's wrath.  He had been high on the mountain top.  Now he was passing through the valley of the shadow of death.  In fact, he laid down hoping to die.  God could have taken his life, but He had something else in mind--He fed him.  Then he fed him again and gave him a fresh vision and reason for living.  Elijah's spirit was revived, and he went on to serve the Lord faithfully.
When King Saul was campaigning against the Philistines, part of his strategy was to not allow his soldiers to eat until they accomplished something.  Spirits were low.  Prince Jonathan, not aware of Saul's command, allowed his men to eat, and they rallied to victory.
Look, I'm not a doctor, and the advice I'm about to give certainly doesn't solve all types of depression.  However, there is a kind of depression that can be overcome in the simplest of ways--by having something good to eat.  Most of the time when we are down and out, we don't feel like eating.  However, that may just do the trick.  If I may add to that, don't eat alone.  We are made for companionship.  Find a good friend, and enjoy the company that you thought you didn't need.

Recommended Reading
1 Samuel 14
1 Kings 19
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham

Trains, Trains, Trains

Every day is a new day.
Every day is a venture.
One thing is for certain, I say,
Adventure will be the future.

On the way to dropping off the kids at school this morning, we were held up by a train at around 7:45 in Pinehurst, Georgia.  The train was moving.  This usually doesn't take long.  But I also noticed that it seemed to be slowing down.  Well, it was raining at this point.   Makes sense for the train to slow down.  But then it completely stopped, blocking the road.  I thought, no big deal, I'll just go down to the other road to get to the school.  Nope, that way was blocked, too.  I also noticed at this point that the van was nearly empty.  It was warning me that there was only 22 miles to empty.  So I go back to the gas station that's nearby, thinking that when I get back the train will surely be gone.  I get the gas, come back, and the train is still there.  By this time, cars were everywhere.  Finally, at around 8:20, the train started moving again, but very slowly.  This must have been the longest train in the world.  Finally it gets by us, and we can get on to the school.  I drop the girls off, get back on the road I came from, and guess what.  Another train!  Moving slowly!  No, not again!  By the way, I'm trying at this point to get my son to the babysitter.  That train finally clears.  We drive down the interstate, get off at the first Vienna exit, get in town, and what do I see?  Crossing bars and lights flashing at the track.  Ahh!  This is the second train again.  I beat it to Vienna, only to be held up again.  That train gets by, I get Malachi almost to the sitter's house, and like running into a wall of water, it begins pouring rain. It's been a fun day so far!  Is that a train whistle I hear in the distance?...

Top Ten Books About C. S. Lewis

There are many books dealing with C. S. Lewis and his writings.  There are many good ones.  There are even some that are not so good, but they are few and far between.  This top ten list is compiled from the books that I have read only in 2016.  Some excellent ones not on this list I have already read (Devin Brown, Donald Williams, Colin Duriez, etc.), and I highly recommend them.  Others I still plan on reading (Alister McGrath, Michael Ward, etc.).
These have been a blessing to me, and I hope you read them, too!

1. Jack: C. S. Lewis and His Times - George Sayer
2. Jack's Life: The Life Story of C. S. Lewis - Douglas Gresham
3. Clive Staples Lewis: A Dramatic Life - William Griffin
4. Past Watchful Dragons - Walter Hooper
5. The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis - Alan Jacobs
6. The Soul of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - Gene E. Keith, Jr.
7. If I Had Lunch with C. S. Lewis - Alister McGrath
8. On the Shoulders of Hobbits - Louis Markos
9. C. S. Lewis & Mere Christianity: The Crisis that Created a Classic - Paul McCusker
10. Aslan's Call: Finding Our Way to Narnia - Mark Eddy Smith

Post Script - I should add one more as an honorable mention.  I read this one after I compiled my list.

               C. S. Lewis, My Godfather: Letters, Photos and Recollections - Laurence Harwood

Top Twenty Books by C. S. Lewis Read This Year

A good portion of the 132 books I've read this year have been by C. S. Lewis, so I decided to do a list dedicated just to those.  Of course, who can really rank Lewis' books?  But everyone has his or her favorites.  Here is how I decided to do this one: I will rank each book according to how much I enjoyed reading it.  Certainly, I would recommend all of them.

1. Mere Christianity
2. The Great Divorce
3. Surprised by Joy
4. Out of the Silent Planet
5. Of Other Worlds: Essays & Stories
6. Miracles
7. Letters to an American Lady
8. An Experiment in Criticism
9. The Abolition of Man
10. Perelandra
11. Reflections on the Psalms
12. A Preface to Paradise Lost
13. That Hideous Strength
14. The Screwtape Letters
15. Till We Have Faces
16. Narrative Poems
17. The Problem of Pain
18. Christian Reflections
19. Letters to Children
20. A Grief Observed

Top Seven Books for Pastors

I read over 130 books this year.  Of those, a good portion were about Christian ministry in particular, or Christian living in general.  Here's a list of seven of those that I would definitely recommend.  Of course, this list is not limited to pastors.  All Christians would benefit from reading these books.  Blessings!











7.  Lessons from the Ladder - Neil Joiner
6.  Jesus Swagger: Break Free from Poser Christianity - Jarrid Wilson
5.  The Power of Positive Praying - John Bisagno
4.  Pastors in the Classics - Leland Ryken, Philip Ryken, and Todd Wilson
3.  The Book on Leadership - John MacArthur
2.  Who Moved My Pulpit? - Thom S. Rainer
1.  Praying the Bible - Donald S. Whitney

November Reading

• The Preaching Event - John R. Claypool
• C. S. Lewis on Faith - Lesley Walmsley
• The Abolition of Man - C. S. Lewis
• Tremendous Trifles - G. K. Chesterton
• Thoroughly Married - Dennis Guernsey
• Christian Reflections - C. S. Lewis
• Past Watchful Dragons - Walter Hooper
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Jessie L. Weston
• The Great Divorce - C. S. Lewis
• Sonnets from the Portuguese - Elizabeth Barrett Browning
• Reflections on the Psalms - C. S. Lewis
• Shakespeare on Leadership - Frederick Talbott
• Who Moved My Pulpit? - Thom S. Rainer

October Reading

• The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Philippians - John MacArthur
• Exploring Ephesians & Philippians: An Expository Commentary - John Phillips
• The Power and the Glory - Graham Greene
• Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Philippians - Tony Merida & Francis Chan
• Be Joyful: Even When Things Go Wrong, You Can Have Joy - Warren W. Wiersbe
• The Monkey and the Fish: Liquid Leadership for a Third-Culture Church - Dave Gibbons
• Aslan's Call: Finding Our Way to Narnia - Mark Eddy Smith
• The Art of Preaching Old Testament Narrative - Steven D. Mathewson
• Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories - C. S. Lewis
• The Quotable Chesterton - Kevin Belmonte
• The Visionary Christian - C. S. Lewis
• Perelandra - C. S. Lewis
• Mere Christianity - C. S. Lewis
• The Warden - Anthony Trollope
• Lessons from the Ladder - Neil Joiner
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis
• Things That Cannot Be Shaken - K. Scott Oliphant & Rod Mays

September Reading

• What Would You Like On Your Mashed Potatoes? - Tom Davis
• Growing Up in Vienna, Georgia - Tom Davis
• What America Is - Neil Joiner
• The Jewel of Seven Stars - Bram Stoker
• Yours, Jack - C. S. Lewis
• Jack's Life: The Life Story of C. S. Lewis - Douglas Gresham
• At Home in Mitford - Jan Karon
• A Grief Observed - C. S. Lewis
• The Book of the Duchess - Geoffrey Chaucer
• In the Days of the Comet - H. G. Wells

Isabella's Baptism

On the Day You Turned Eight

These words were penned late
On the day you turned eight
I hope you really like the Falcon
Thank the Maker, it's not a real one
Guard your Legos well when constructing you toy
Because sometimes your brother can be like Malfoy
You have some of my looks, that's true
What else?  We both really like Yoo-hoo
I'm so proud to be your daddy rooster
Call on me if you ever need a booster

August Reading

1. The Case for Christianity - C. S. Lewis
2. The Waste Land and Other Poems - T. S. Eliot
3. Miracles: A Preliminary Study - C. S. Lewis
4. Dracula - Bram Stoker
5. Sound Doctrine - Bobby Jamieson
6. C. S. Lewis on Joy - Lesley Walmsley
7. Out of the Silent Planet - C. S. Lewis
8. Favorite Father Brown Stories - G. K. Chesterton
9. Mystery of the Midnight Message - Florence Parry Heide & Roxanne Heide
10. Rhodes - D. &. I. Mathioulakis
11. The Screwtape Letters - C. S. Lewis
12. On the Shoulders of Hobbits - Louis Markos
13. The Joyful Christian - C. S. Lewis
14. The Power of Positive Praying - John Bisagno
15. The Wisdom of Father Brown - G. K. Chesterton
16. Three Score & Ten - Vance Havner
17. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

Mark's Cameo

This week I read an article in a newspaper in which the author claimed that Mark (the writer of the Gospel that carries his name) inserted himself in two cameo appearances.  I have no problem with the first case, which can be found in Mark 14:51-51:

          A young man was following [Jesus], wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body;

          and they seized him.  But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked (NASB).

Of course, this is not the sort of thing we can say with absolute certainty.  There are some pointers that make it quite possible that this young man was Mark.  However, if it could be proven that this indeed was not Mark, no big deal.  My faith would not be altered in the slightest.  It changes no essential doctrine of the faith once and for all passed down to us.

It is the author's second example in which I have no accord with him.

          Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they

          were amazed.  And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the

          Nazarene, who has been crucified.  He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place

          where they laid Him.  But go, tell His disciples and Peter... (Mark 16:5-7 NASB)."

The writer of the newspaper article claims that this "young man" is also a case of Mark inserting himself into the scene.  If Mark's Gospel were all we had to go on...maybe.  However, when we compare Matthew 28, Luke 24, and John 20 with Mark 16, then it becomes evident that the "young man" that Mark mentions actually turns out to be one of the two angels at the tomb.

This brings up an important lesson for anyone who wants to teach the Bible:  DO YOUR HOMEWORK!  I am willing to allow a couple of possibilities for this article writer.  Maybe he read a dubious and questionable source without realizing it.  Maybe he had a deadline looming ominously close and quickly repeated something without checking it out.  But that still does not excuse this kind of journalism.

Now there is also a great lesson for anyone who reads an article dealing with the Bible.  Always ask the question, "IS THIS TRUE?"  Check it out for yourself.  In Acts 17:11 we are told that the Bereans "were more noble-minded than" the Thessalonians because "they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so" (NASB).  In other words, they didn't merely take Paul's word for it, they checked everything out to make sure it was legit.  Let us do likewise.

July Reading

• The Book on Leadership - John MacArthur
• Henry XIII - Frank Dwyer
• The Blackstone Chronicles - John Saul
• Ephesus - Anita Gillett
• The Sacred Journey - Charles Foster
• Jack: C. S. Lewis and His Times - George Sayer

June Reading

• Creative Family Activities: Living, Loving, & Learning Together - Valerie Sloane
• Babushka and the Three Kings - Ruth Robbins
• The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien

May Reading

• The Two Towers - J. R. R. Tolkien
• A Sherlock Holmes Devotional: Uncovering the Mysteries of God - Trisha White Priebe
• That Hideous Strength - C. S. Lewis
• Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1, 2, & 3 John - Daniel Akin

April Reading

• Tolkien's Ordinary Virtues: Exploring the Spiritual Themes of the Lord of the Rings - Mark Eddy Smith
• The Island of Dr. Moreau - H. G. Wells
• The Problem of Pain - C. S. Lewis
• The Soul of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - Gene E. Veith, Jr.
• Pygmalion - George Bernard Shaw
• Narrative Poems - C. S. Lewis
• Letters to an American Lady - C. S. Lewis
• Wait Till Helen Comes - Mary Downing Hahn
• Surprised By Joy - C. S. Lewis
• Bunnicula - Deborah and James Howe
• The Life of Timon of Athens - William Shakespeare
• A Display of God's Glory - Mark E. Dever
• A Preface To Paradise Lost - C. S. Lewis

Zoom, Zoom

Zoom, zoom, around the room
Go, Malachi, go!
Only too late I saw my doom
As you zoomed right over my toe!

Ouch, ouch! I sit on the couch
Holding my throbbing toe.
Somebody, quick! Get the ice pouch!
Oh, how it hurts me so!

Dad, Dad, don't be so sad.
I thought that you should know...
Just take a look and be very glad
There's still nine. Here I go!

March Reading

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J. K. Rowling
2. Jesus Swagger: Break Free from Poser Christianity - Jarrid Wilson
3. Pastors in the Classics - Leland Ryken, Philip Ryken, & Todd Wilson
4. C. S. Lewis & Mere Christianity: The Crisis that Created a Classic - Paul McCusker
5. C. S. Lewis: Letters to Children - Lyle W. Dorsett & Marjorie Lamp Mead
6. Till We Have Faces - C. S. Lewis
7. The New American Commentary: Leviticus - Mark F. Rooker
8. Be Holy: Becoming "Set Apart" For God - Warren W. Wiersbe
9. Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Leviticus - Allan Moseley
10. The Princess and Curdie - George MacDonald
11. Murder in the Cathedral - T. S. Eliot
12. Electra - Sophocles (translated by George Young)
13. Reading Between the Lines - Gene Edward Veith, Jr.
14. The Gospel According to Matthew - Leon Morris
15. Exploring the Gospel of Matthew - John Phillips
16. The New American Commentary: Matthew - Craig L. Blomberg
17. Layman's Bible Book Commentary: Matthew - Clair M. Crissey
18. Studies in Matthew: The King and the Kingdom - Roland Q. Leavell
19. Matthew (Vol. II) - J. Vernon McGee
20. Holman New Testament Commentary: Matthew - Stuart K. Weber
21. A Room with a View - E. M. Forster
22. The NIV Application Commentary: Matthew - Michael J. Wilkins
23. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Matthew 24-28 - John MacArthur
24. Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Matthew - David Platt
25. Mere Christianity - C. S. Lewis

Thirteen Cows

As I took my afternoon stroll
Pole to pole as I plodded with Poe
I looked up to the strangest sight
That caused me to smile with much delight

At the fence stood one and twelve
And into their confidence did I delve
Thirteen cows cheering me on
Even as each footfall fell like a ton

They didn't care that it's a windy day
Or that they paused too long from their hay
Hey! The seemed to say
With eyes expectant as if to play

Two were nodding, I kid you not
One grinned, One just blew snot
You can do it, we know you can
Keep on going! You're the man!

So if you're ever plodding along a country road
And you think you're about to give up or explode
Look for encouragement from the strangest of place
Keep one foot in front of the other, a smile on your face

February Reading

• Punk Monk - Andy Freeman & Peter Greig
• Praying the Bible - Donald S. Whitney
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J. K. Rowling
• The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis - Alan Jacobs
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J. K. Rowling
• If I Had Lunch with C. S. Lewis - Alister McGrath

MBC 40 Hours of Prayer

January Reading

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J. K. Rowling
• The Time Machine - H. G. Wells
• Perelandra - C. S. Lewis
• Jesus No Equal - Barry St. Clair
• Devotions on the Greek New Testament - J. Scott Duvall & Verlyn D. Verbrugge
• Beowulf - J. R. R. Tolkien
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J. K. Rowling
• Writing on the Wall - Brian Heasley
• Galileo - Mitch Stokes
• The NIV Application Commentary: James - David P. Nystrom
• The New American Commentary Vol. 36: James - Kurt A. Richardson
• The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: James - John MacArthur
• The Letter of James - Clayton K. Harrop
• Power from God - Charles Finney
• Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in James - David Platt

Here's Hope

Hope.
And joy.
That's what Jeremiah 31 is all about.  The people of Israel had for a long time walked away from God.  God, through the prophets, repeatedly warned them of coming judgment if they didn't repent.  They didn't, and God did.
But then in the middle of what must have seemed a completely hopeless situation, God sent them another message of hope and restoration, in fact event better than that--a new covenant!  That new covenant was established by the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Jeremiah 31:6 says, "For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim: 'Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.'"
Perhaps you have been straying from the faith.  Maybe you have walked out on God.  Maybe you have abandoned His people, the church.
Maybe your life seems completely messed up, broken, and without any shred of hope or joy.
The good news is that can change.  "Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God."
Today is a new day. Start fresh.  Return to the Lord.  If you've walked away from the church (for whatever reason), make it a point to go back this Sunday.
You may be thinking, "No way!  Good will never have me back after what I've done."  I'm so happy to tell you that you are wrong about that.  God is ready and waiting with outstretched arms to welcome you back.
If that's you today, then go ahead and agree with God that your life is empty without Him in it.  Ask for forgiveness and take the necessary steps back into a growing, vibrant relationship with Him, through His Son Jesus Christ.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but will have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Let Us Boast

James, the half-brother of Jesus, warns us about a kind of boasting that is evil (see James 4:13-16), but that doesn't mean that all boasting of any kind is evil.  There is at least one kind of boasting that is always good and right for us to do, and that is to boast about God (what He has done, what He is doing, what He will do).
"Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:31).
The Apostle Paul also said, "Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14).
The Prophet Jeremiah writes, "Thus says the LORD: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth.  For in these things I delight, declares the LORD'" (Jeremiah 9:23-24).
So what are some things Christians can boast about today?

• Boast in the fact that Jesus saves.
• Boast in the fact that God can be known.
• Boast in the fact that God is the God of love, justice, and righteousness.

Don't boast about yourself; boast about Jesus Christ!

3 Recommended Devotionals

It's that time again.  Each new year welcomes a great opportunity to start fresh with quiet times and devotions.  Here's three devotional books that you might want to check out this year.

1. Glorifying God: A Yearlong Collection of Classic Devotional Writings by Thomas Watson - Compiled by Patti M. Hummel (365)
2. A Sherlock Holmes Devotional: Uncovering the Mysteries of God - Trisha White Priebe (60)
3. A Hobbit Devotional - Ed Strauss (60)