Love it

Well, it's time to answer Simon's question...How do I find this book?Very good. J. Owen explains in a very clear and concise way what the Glory of Christ means. I’m sure I wouldn't have been able to put it into words like J. Owen does so well apart from that God should be glorified in and through us, only He is worthy of all praise and honour and the more we see Him, the more we love Him and the more it changes us. I particularly liked the preface (the last 2 chapters written by Owen and later added to future editions), there's so much in it. On page 2 it says: 'We cannot stop wondering that our nature is capable of sharing the glorious life of God'. Let us think about that! Our nature that's so sinful , frail, subject to change and failing yet...God choose to reveal Himself to us and uses us, not because he needs us of course just because he wants to and will be glorified through these simple vessels, we are but dust( see Ps.103: 14-18). Glorious grace that is. On page 4 Owen quotes 2 Tim 1:12 and talks about our giving our souls up to God's disposal, in faith. It made me ponder on this scripture and how Paul really knew whom he believed and what confidence he had in his God. Do we? Do I? Paul went through so much yet his confidence in God wasn't knocked and fully assured of Him to keep that which he committed to Him.
Well there's so much more I love to share and am half way through the book now so leave room for others to respond too. God bless. Cynthia.

One chapter down...

So I've finished the first chapter of the book. Not sure why I've been so slow...

The chapter is great. It's awesome to think that everything we do in Christian service flows from a desire to observe the glory. When I was first saved I thought the glory of God was some sort of quantity and measurable substance that changes depending on your church attendance, Bible reading and prayer life. I was under the impression that Gods glory goes up and down depending on performance. It's good that I'm wrong- we can never make God more or less glorious. Glorify God in ourselves is receiving His glory! Through reading the Word with the help of Piper's Desiring God (buy it here) it's clear that the glory of God is something for us to cherish, enjoy and savour!

God's glory doesn't depend on performing. God is and always will be as glorious as he ever was! The miracle is that we get to share in that glory and then God is glorified in us.

I found the first point on page 8 quite challenging. 'No man will ever see the glory of Christ hereafter if he does not have some view of it by faith now'. If we don't and can't see Jesus as beautiful and ultimately attractive we are not saved. Jesus loves to wet our appetites for heaven by giving us some of His glory now.

I like what he said on page 9 about the world becoming less and less attractive until it seems dead of enjoyment. I get annoyed when Christians tell other christian to be crucified to the world without any reference to being alive with Christ and becoming more excited about Jesus and the cross .Johnathan Edwards said that in order to get rid of one passion we need to replace it with a stronger one. Becoming ecstatic about Jesus will crucify the world in the best way possible!

How has everyone else found the book?

Why read Owen?

'To read John Owen is to enter a rare world. Whenever I return to one of his works I find myself asking “Why do I spend time reading lesser literature?”' —Sinclair B. Ferguson

'I owe more to John Owen than to any other theologian, ancient or modern; and I owe more to [The Mortification of Sin] than to anything else he wrote.'—J.I. Packer

'There is constantly in Owen, even when we are in the thick of him (and some of his writing is dense indeed) a doxological motive and motif. If we can persevere with his style (which becomes easier the longer we persevere), he will not fail to bring us to the feet of Jesus.'—Sinclair B. Ferguson

Read Biographies

Mark Driscoll explains why preachers should:

Why read?

Helpful reasons from the Metropolitan Tabernacle:

Gains of Christian reading- when united to a sincere devotional life

Readers are far better equipped for serving the Lord as witnessing Christians, shepherds of others, or teachers in any department of the church.
They will be ‘bigger’ people whose minds are far more alive, active and awake through their entire lives. Intelligence and mental energy will be stimulated and will continue growing, continuing bright and sharp into old age. Regular reading enlarges the ability to think, and increases powers of expression.
Readers help their churches to withstand false teaching so that they do not fall prey to the avalanche of errors of these last days. Would you be an anchor in the church? Christian reading boosts discernment.
Readers are greatly helped in deep trials and barren times because they are given a clear view of how God deals with His people, seeing them through to victory.

Check out the Met Tab's own book shop. I recommend a bit of Spurgeon!

Our new blog!

The MPBC book club blog page is looking shiny and new! Post your thoughts and ideas concerning anything you've been reading recently so that we can all learn form each other.

The books for this month is 'The Glory of Christ' by John Owen. We're reading from the abridged version, (it's less than 100 pages long).

If you haven't yet get your copy speak to Stephen this Sunday for a spare.

'A continual view of th glory of Christ will have the blessed effect of changing us more and more into the likeness of Christ. Perhaps other ways and means have failed to make us Christ-like. Let us put this way to the test'.-Owen