Café

The Hardest Sermons You’ll Ever Have To Preach
Reviewed by Hans Kristensen
Little Black Books: Science and God
Reviewed by Andrew Laird
Making the Most of the Cross
Reviewed by Lesley Hicks
Higher Ground
Reviewed by Andrew Laird

Making the Most of the Cross

Matthias Media, 2011; 100 pages

Reviewed by Lesley Hicks

04 Nov 2011

1:57pm Friday, 4th November 2011

Rating himself as already over the hill and suitably qualified at the age of 76, four years ago John Chapman wrote Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life. Now he has followed it up with another book on the central fact of the Christian message - the cross and the resurrection of Jesus, two aspects of a single saving event.
Chapters are short and he has tried to write clearly and simply, not assuming prior knowledge of the Scriptures. Chappo dedicates the book to a friend who is (or was) a member of the bible study group at his retirement village and to all his other friends in it. This suggests that he has in mind seniors willing (as far too few are, alas) to consider life's meaning and how to find forgiveness and the way to God. Each of the 17 chapters ends with a short prayer.
Having dealt briefly with how God can justly declare us not guilty when we are guilty - a crucial but tremendously difficult concept for those unfamiliar with the gospel, chapter 7 shows this justification to be the basis of fellowship. "I must not make other barriers or have ‘higher' standards than God does. He says, ‘I will fellowship with anybody who is in Christ and so must you.' " The chapter closes with the prayer: "Lord Jesus, please flood my heart with your love so that loving others will become my chief delight."