books books books

I realized about a week ago while searching in some old posts that my blog posts in the past regularly featured books and somewhere along the way in the last year I stopped posting about books much, which of course is strange considering I read incessantly and constantly. :)
So brace yourselves, you're about to see me try to make up for this neglect in the days to come.
I first heard this book mentioned during a discussion time completing a Desiring God conference. You can find a video link here. Douglas Wilson has a witty sense of humor so don't expect the discussion to be dry and boring. If anything, you'll wish it went longer.
Anyways, after watching that video, I put the book Heaven Misplaced on my list of books to read. After waiting a while for the paperback to come out, I went ahead and ordered the hardcover when the price dropped. I love this book and after a slow start, I have picked it up along with my Bible to read and study as often as possible. This morning I started the last chapter and I plan to finish the book this evening. However, I have much I want to re-read and study further so I don't expect to be really be done the book soon. Douglas Wilson is a believer in historic optimism, which is also known as postmillenialism. I came into the book unsure, but willing to adopt this view of God's plan for the world and I believe that I am more certain that this provides a more complete and exegetical position than other pre- or a-millennial views. Pastor Wilson works through various aspects of Christ's birth, like the appearance of the star and what it indicated, as well as discussing phrases found in the OT and NT like, "coming on the clouds" and when that occurred. I also like how he shows a need to study a NT passage in light of the OT meaning. And being a classical educator, he explains the necessity of being familiar with Roman history in order to aid in understanding the NT. Wilson is not a full-preterist, meaning he still believes that there are future events prophesied that have not occurred but it looks nothing like typical evangelical end-times prophecy, aka most, if not all strands of dispensationalism. I would encourage you to get a copy of this brief but meaty book and read it with an open mind and Bible. It is available in paperback from the link I provided.