Customer Reviews

Made for His Pleasure

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This book is a great foundational manual. Alistair has a way of bringing the truth out in the open and not apologizing for it. This book is appropriate for both veteran Christians, new believers, and those seeking God.

Begg does an excellent job of focusing the new disciple of Christ on the road and job ahead as well as refocusing and truly maturing the less recent convert to Christ. Begg pulls no punches and speaks the truth boldly.

This is a great heart-felt and heart-warming little book about being a disciple of Jesus Christ. It is easy to read and beneficial for any Christian at any stage of their spiritual walk. I whole-heartedly recommend it.

Alistair Begg has written one of those books that may be used for personal study, as a devotional, in a small group study, as well as for sermon outlines. Not too many books can fit all of those categories. His book, Made for HIS Pleasure (Ten Benchmarks of a Vital Faith), begins with with two nice Forwards endorsements, one by R.C. Sproul and another by John MacArthur, Jr. Begg's purpose in this well-written book is to provide scripturally-based principles to help believers dedicate themselves to and focus on living lives pleasing to God and for his own glory and pleasure. This book is especially important to Christians since we live in a world so bent on pleasing only themselves.

Begg rightly asserts that pleasing God is not optional for Christians, but rather must be a preoccupation in everything we think and do. He provides the following broad outline to guide the reader to this end, using Hebrews 13:21 as the intended goal: "May he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

1.Fruitful Living
2.Knowledgeable Living
3.Powerful Living
4.Thankful Living
5.Pleasing God in our Desires and Aspirations

To fill out his outline, Begg provides 10 Benchmarks (10 chapters) filled with priceless insight, admonitions and the warm encouragement every believer needs.

1.Spiritual Fitness
2.Prayer
3.Sacrifice
4.Relationships
5.Vocation
6.Suffering
7.The Narrow Way
8.Intellectualism & Materialism
9.Humility
10.Evangelism

Begg closes with the following conclusion: "And so as we gauge our lives by these benchmarks, we come to recognize how important it is to do the basics well most of the time. In service and sacrifice, marriage and ministry, in learning to say 'no' to materialism and 'yes' to evangelism, our focus is clear. Having been made for His pleasure, we seek to live for His glory."

This may be referred to by some as a book of Christian Basics, but I think Alistair Begg would rather we view it as daily guidelines and serious reminders on how we may live lives pleasing to the one who has called us to his eternal glory. "Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better." Colossians 1:10.

Alistair Begg also has an excellent radio program--Truth for Life. I am able to listen to it during my lunch hour and enjoy it immensely. His Irish brogue is sometimes challenging to understand, but not often. For those not familiar with Alistair Begg, you may sample his studies through a number of on-line sites.

In this book, Alistair Begg's simple yet profound style is evident. For mature Christians, the subjects he covers should be nothing new. For many of us, it could be said that the topics are even elementary. That is not to say the book is elementary. On the contrary, each chapter brought me under conviction.

I knew I was in trouble from the opening pages of the first chapter. To illustrate the Christian's need for spiritual fitness, Begg points out the need for physical fitness. Of course he subordinates physical fitness to spiritual fitness, but nonetheless the conviction had begun. And it only continued as he covered prayer, personal sacrifice, the marriage relationship, service, laziness, evangelism and others.

Particularly poignant was Begg's chapter on humility. After the Bible, that chapter should be required reading for all believers. In the brief space of 184 pages, Alistair Begg successfully accomplishes his goal of providing the benchmarks required to have vital faith.

Alistair Begg's preaching and teaching style come through in this book. This book is a must have for a new Christian and a life-long believer alike. More biblically sound than the books about "Purpose" and "Your Best Life" but easier to read than the heady volumes of Spurgeon and Calvin. A must own for traditonal Christians and biblical conservatives.

I was so excited to read this book written by my pastor at the church I attended while in college in Cleveland, Ohio. It was as if I was there hearing him teach the word again. He always had a way of making God's word come alive in a way that inspired me to walk closer to the Lord. A friend of mine who has been a committed Christian for years, gave me a copy of this book and then bought another copy to read it again. So, this book is not just for the new believer but the veteran as well. Get a copy for yourself and get ready to walk closer with the Lord.

I read a friend's copy; had to order my own.
You will benefit so much from reading this book.