In a plea for more donors for her book fund for preachers in need, Mrs. C. H. Spurgeon wrote “Books are as truly a minister’s needful tools as the plane and the hammer and the saw are the necessary adjuncts of a carpenter’s bench.”[1] We need go no further than Paul’s words to Timothy in 2 Tim 4:13 for a biblical example. In our over 30 years of ministry, Mike has always had ample space to store his “tools” so has accumulated a substantial theological library. However, with a move to Europe on the horizon, we must downsize. As a start, we’ve managed to get 148 volumes into boxes and ready to sell. Would you pray that the sale of these and others to come might be substantial enough to contribute to the purchase of their equivalents in electronic format?
This need is vital to our effectiveness in a ministry of preaching, teaching, translation, and the training of nationals. “The person who wishes to master the content of Scripture so that its content may master him will be greatly helped by the right study tools. …A pastor or Bible teacher cannot afford to be uninformed—or ill-informed—for a task as important as unfolding the Word of God for his people.”[2]
For your information, here is a link for the volumes currently available: Mike’s Books
[1] Spurgeon, C. H. (1876). The Sword and Trowel: 1876 (p. 110). London: Passmore & Alabaster.
[2] Custer, S. (1998). Tools for preaching & teaching the Bible (2nd ed., p. viii). Greenville, S.C.: Bob Jones University Press.