I have, in the past few days, ordered my copy of Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope That Matters, in both text and on disc [amongst other books]!  I am buying from Amazon as we are buying some other stuff, but there are other options [see JT's post].  Unlike those fortunate individuals, in this example anyway, he being me, living life in the land of New Zealand…

… I, have to wait for delivery from the Uniter of States!  Therefore, I will probably not get to read the book for at least three weeks.

However, the growing band of blood-brought bloggers in the US, who are justified thus and so, have already read, reviewed, and posted their thoughts on this new title from “the Cardiologist.”

To start off your reading, thanks to the Scoop [Justin Taylor], you can read an interview with Keller in Christianity Today.

Such may give you a little more of a ‘heads up’ as you read the reviews from three made-righteous… dude… bloggers.

Presenting… Tim Challies… Take note of these words by Tim…

Truly, the human heart is an idol factory. Counterfeit Gods points to Scripture to help root them out, turns to the Cross to find forgiveness and points to the gospel as the power to find ultimate freedom from them. This is an excellent book and one I hope to read again, perhaps in a group setting. It is easily one of the best books I’ve read this year and I commend it to you [emphasis mine].

Next is Trevin “Wax on Wax off” [I have to say that nickname is not too bad].  Here is Wax’s final summation…

Counterfeit Gods is a terrific book that leads the reader to desperation and then to the cross. This book would lead to despair if not for Keller’s constant drawing us back to the gospel – what Christ has accomplished for us idolaters.

The good news is that there is good news. The counterfeit gods are mere parodies of the one true God who has come to conquer our idols and restore us to himself.

Now, the man with much man-love for “the Cardiologist” Steve McCoy! Read these words from McCoy, which also affirm why I am Jonny King’s nickname for Keller hits the runner home!

I have to be honest…Counterfeit Gods has brought some serious conviction in my heart. A part of it is the sermons I’ve prepared with the book as a foundational resource (though I haven’t preached through this book). But mostly it’s been the words of Keller, who knows how to take biblical truth and deliver it to the heart in practical and profound ways. My idols have been exposed.

Counterfeit Gods will be sitting on our church book table, given to those in leadership, and recommended to any number of people. It will have great benefit for both Christians and non-Christians. I can’t recommend this book enough [emphasis mine].

“The Cardiologist” is tuned in to deal with matters of the heart.  This is how this blogger [that's me] describes the reason for this name in a subsequent post…

Tim “the Cardiologist” Keller… the man who is able to get to the heart of the matter, biblically, culturally, individually, and corporately… well, most of the time anyway!

Here is a video of Keller, briefly talking about this new book [thanks JT]…

Not that I am wanting to shift the focus from Counterfeit Gods, before I have even read it, but the following words recorded by JT have rather excited me.

Here they are…

“What’s your next project?”

A book on suffering, which I’m hoping will be out next November. I’m planning to draw more on being a pastor than being an apologist. I’m trying to write a book every year during this last part of my career.

As someone who has what looks like being a long-term illness [it has already been four plus years], I am really excited about this!

I can’t help but think of an account that Keller tells in the context of those Christians who think that God owes them.  Keller affirms that very often such accounts occur when unexpected tragedy strikes, such as when an illness make itself way too comfortable at home.

Here is my summation…

The context is a young woman, who had been a church-attender, but who had never really heard the beauty and grace of the Gospel, until she made her way to Redeemer.  In a conversation with Keller after some time, she was to make the following radical reflection… If such is the true with the Gospel [that it is a work of God from go-to-wo, graced on the believer], then God can ask anything of you?… Yes, anything!

Often, it is only when tragedy strikes that we see how much we confuse His grace-given merit with ours!

In closing, such seems to be the case with the band, Kings of Leon.  For some time, I have been thinking of posting on them, since their background has come to this bloggers light.  However, thanks to another blogger, who has provided some illuminating comments from an article that, tragically, illustrates the difference between grace-given righteousness in Christ, and works-based righteousness in self.

To give some context, this band of three brothers [and a cousin], with the three brothers being sons of a travelling Pentecostal preacher, who have made it musically rather large.

Here are their words [as recorded]…

“I guess the pressure was getting to my dad, being the leader of the flock,” says Caleb. “Things were really up and down, depending on how his nerves were.” Ivan started drinking. “He was trying to be perfect, but in the process he was imperfect.”

When Ivan [their father] left the pulpit, Caleb became disillusioned. “I was going to be a preacher—it was everything I knew,” he says. “My heart got broken, seeing that it was impossible to be perfect. So I said to myself, ‘I have to go the opposite way.’ I couldn’t be a sober man. When I started getting ****** up, I got ****** up. I thought I was going to hell. I had nightmares about money and girls. The sky would open up and the Lord would take my soul.”

What these boys need is a Hero!

And this Hero is always ready to Save… and Never fails to Deliver… and knows you can never save yourself… even when you fool yourself!

In the words of Skillet… A hero’s not afraid to give his life, a hero’s gonna save me just in time!

This Hero is the Real God that We All Need, not some failed counterfeit!

Until Next Time

I am Jonny King