The Great Divorce

One of Lewis' fantastic pieces of fiction. This book is an allegory of human responses to God. It is set in Heaven and Hell, but is not meant to be a literal description of what Heaven and Hell are actually like; rather, Lewis uses those places as the setting because he is talking about the nature of true reality, which is beyond our current limited world.

Although the descriptions of Heaven and Hell are important, the characters are the key to this little book. Each character represents different peoples response toward God which is a result of their attitude toward life. Their is the self indulgent, the lazy and those who somehow got it. What Lewis does so well in all his books, and especially in this one, is to make the reader identify with each character. As he describes them you immediately start to think of people you know, but even more skillful than that, his best and most subtle character is you. The book is set from what appears to be his perspective, but you automatically identify with the character so that you don't even realize it, but in your imagination you are seeing what it would be like if you had gone from Hell to Heaven and were meeting all these people.

The book does give a hint of universalism (the idea that all people will one day be saved), but I wouldn't let that get in the way of enjoying the wisdom that will be gained from reading this book.

The Believers Bible Commentary

A complete Bible commentary in one volume.
William MacDonald wrote this commentary over the course of his life and he complied it and added to it in the early 1990's. Art Farstad edited it quite meticulously and the result is an easy to read and extremely helpful Bible commentary that always keeps Christ preeminent. The Newt Testament section is much better than the Old Testament section, which is usually the case with one volume commentaries since only so much space can be given to the big Old Testament books like Jeremiah or Ezekiel. What he does is give summaries of what is going on in the prophetic and historical books, but his section on the Psalms and Proverbs is a little more thorough. The New Testament is treated much more as a verse by verse exposition, and MacDonald does a superb job at this. The introduction to each book is also useful. An outline of the book is given, as well as answering questions about date, authorship and audience and all is done from the perspective of a firmly committed Bible believer.

Theological Background of William MacDonald
As is readily evident from this commentary, MacDonald is writing from a Dispensational viewpoint. He is a mild Calvinist. He is also a firm believer in applying a New Testament church pattern today. He was associated with the group of churches that are sometimes referred to as "Plymouth Brethren," although he said he hated that title because it divides the church.

Who Was William MacDonald?
William MacDonald taught at Emmaus Bible College from 1947-1965 and was the president of that school from 1959-1965. He published 84 books, notably True Discipleship and My Heart My Life My All , each were concise, practical and had a devotional aspect to them. He lived what he preached, which is more than most ministers can say. He called Christians to live simply and practically, using their extra resources for the Lord's work. I remember visiting his apartment - a small one bedroom flat. It had a few book shelves, a desk and an electric keyboard. Nothing was fancy, but he would often invite young people over to encourage them in their Christian walk. I think that afternoon was one of the most influential afternoons in my entire life.

The Upward Call: The Idolatry of Theistic Evolution

The Upward Call: The Idolatry of Theistic Evolution: Right now a debate is raging in Christian academic circles about how God Created the earth. Francis Collins and Karl Giberson just publishe...