Before looking at this list, what would be your guess for the top ten most read books in the last 50 years? Compare your list to what books actually have been read the most.

1. The Bible
2. Quotations from the Works of Mao Tse-tung – Mao Tse-Tung
3. Harry Potter – J.K. Rowling
4. The Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien
5. The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
6. The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
7. Twilight: The Saga – Stephanie Meyer
8. Gone With the Wind – Margaret Mitchell
9. Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
10. Diary of Anne Frank – Anne Frank

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The Bible.  39 books in the Old Testament.  27 books in the New Testament.  That is a total of 66 different books in our one Bible.  How do they all fit together?  Is there something that ties them all together?  Or are they simply random books tossed together because they are religious literature?

Michael Williams has written How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens: A Guide to Christ-Focused Reading of Scripture to tie all 66 books together.  What ties it all together?  Jesus.

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.
(Jesus in John 5:39 ESV)

Williams likens this to a jigsaw puzzle without a picture on the box to guide us. He presents Jesus as that picture.

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A few years ago, J.I. Packer wrote a book 18 Words: The Most important Words you will ever know.  Packer is one of the most respected theologians of our day.  Check out his list (in alphabetical order) and see if you know these words.

1. Death
2. Devil
3. Election
4. Faith
5. Fellowship
6. Grace
7. Holiness
8. Justification
9. Lord
10. Mediator
11. Mortification
12. Reconciliation
13. Regeneration
14. Revelation
15. Sanctification
16. Scripture
17. Sin
18. World

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Have you been looking for a clear, biblical answer to “What is the gospel?”  Then Counterfeit Gospels: Rediscovering the Good News in a World of False Hope by Trevin Wax is for you.

Wax sets out in this very readable book to clear up the confusion on what the gospel actually is by identifying the gospel and contrasting it with common counterfeits.

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Yeah for me!  The Koinonia: Biblical-Theological Conversations for the Community of Christ website is sending me a free book.  Over 160 entries were received for their giveaway, and I won.

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I am excited to offer the first book giveaway in some time.  This will become a regular feature for this blog. This giveaway is for an Advance Proof of the book, Die Young: Burying Your Self in Christ by Hayley and Michael DiMarco.  The book is currently available from Amazon for $10.08.  Here’s a blurb about the book:

A challenge to believers to die to the bondage of living for self.

You can read my review of the book here. I am using Punch Tab to determine the winner.  Registration for the free book will remain open through Tuesday, February 7th.  You have an opportunity to be entered multiple times in the contest. Continue Reading…

If you look above at the menu for this blog, you will find a section “Bookstore”.  When you click on that, you will find the new FrankGantz.com Bookstore.  In partnership with Amazon, we are helping you find great books to help you in your Christian journey.  (I do get a small commission for any books you buy).

The exciting part of this is that we are able to feature some special books and music.  Each month the link will open to 9 books that we are featuring.  Most of these are books that are on my “want to read next” list.

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Die Young: Burying Your Self in Christ by Hayley and Michael DiMarco is a new book out by Crossway.  The theme for the book is a necessary call in our narcissistic age.

Our society is constantly pursuing all of the personal trappings of life, but seems to be missing life as it was designed for us.  The DiMarcos call readers to forego a pursuit that is bound to leave one at loss.  Instead they say that the gospel flips this pursuit on its head.

Instead of seeking this kind of life, we should seek to die.  Die that we might live.

So death is the new life for those who have been buried in Christ, who have given up the right to themselves and thrown themselves headlong into the arms of the Father; for you who know the truth that “you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3).

–Page 40

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The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul must be placed in the category of contemporary classics for Christian books.  I recently read the book again after having read it the first time years ago.  The subject matter of the book places a heavy burden on any author who attempts to take on this subject.  While no book can possibly exhaust this subject nor do it justice, Sproul has provided us with a book any serious Christian should read.

Sproul is one of Christianity’s best thinkers.  He is able to dig deeply and yet communicate these deep truths in a manner which we more shallow minded folks can grasp.

Beginning with the classic text on the subject of the holiness of God (Isaiah 6), Sproul routes a journey through the Scriptures, through history and through experience.  You surely will grow in awe of God if you read this book. Continue Reading…