| Author | Message | ||
| Martin Registered user Username: Martin Post Number: 43 Registered: 11-2008 |
Hi! I got a gift voucher for Amazon and I was thinking that I could use it to get me something good. It isn't much money but, I think, it would be enough for some books. As you can imagine I'm still quite new into 'mainstream' Christianity, so sometimes it is a bit overwhelming to decide where to start with the huge amount of authors that are available, and I'm not very sure which ones would be worthy to read or contain questionable stuff. So... Which two books would you recommend me? I would like something that is interesting and, at the same time, edifying. And, of course, that is completely based on the Bible. Thanks! | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 9473 Registered: 12-2003  |
Martin, I have several in mind, but I'm going to recommend two very different books. The first is in a devotional format with a reading for every day of the year. It's called The One Year Book of Christian History by E. Michael and Sharon Rustin. Each day contains a story from the life of Christians spanning the last two millennia and includes some event that occurred on that particular day of the month. There are some stories that go clear back to Bible characters, but most are of Christians who have lived for God in spite of great odds. When I first read this book I was overwhelmed to learn of giants of the faith who had lived and worked—and I had NEVER heard of them in my cloistered Adventist past! It's easy to read, and the stories are inspiring and often left me deeply pondering or moved to tears. The other book is more theological. Nevertheless, I found it absolutely riveting when I read it about 10 or 11 years ago because it presented biblical truths and facts about God I had NEVER considered as an SDA. The book is Knowing God by J. I Packer. Colleen | ||
| Lifeanew Registered user Username: Lifeanew Post Number: 202 Registered: 10-2007 |
I received "The One Year Book of Christian History" as a Christmas gift from a friend. Excellent book! I also highly recommend it. Good choice Colleen. Jan | ||
| Bskillet Registered user Username: Bskillet Post Number: 223 Registered: 8-2008 |
1. The Grand Weaver by Ravi Zacharias. 2. The Untold Story of the New Testament Church by Frank Viola, a book that ties in the epistles with the account from Acts. This places the books of the NT into the context of the narrative of the first century church and tells you to read each book after telling you the historical context. Really good for NT study. | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 670 Registered: 7-2007 |
I enjoyed "The Autobiography of Charles Finney" immensely. I had had no idea of the wonderfully direct way that the Lord deals with individuals when they become Christians and not cult-members. I imagine too, that books about the great preachers of the 1800s - Dwight L Moody, Charles Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards, etc. would be good. God used them to bring HUGE numbers to Himself! Unfortunately during this same time period, a lot of false movements started too, led by such as Joseph Smith, Ellen White, Charles Taze Russel, etc. (We sure need another great awakening now - as bad as the world is getting!) | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 671 Registered: 7-2007 |
Oops, I made it sound as if Charles Finney wasn't one of those great preachers. He was! If you like Christian fiction, you might enjoy Joel Rosenberg's end-time-scenario books, like "The Last Jihad," etc.; or (I think the title is) "Deadline" by Randy Alcorn. I don't agree with some of the theological viewpoints of these authors. Rosenburg seems to believe in the "secret rapture" and Alcorn seems to recommend "The Purpose Driven Life" which I believe is wrong theology. Otherwise those books are interesting fiction reading from a Christian viewpoint. If you would like a rather strange allegory of the Christian life, I recommend "Edge of Eternity" by Randy Alcorn; published in 1998. (I don't think I've ever read "Pilgrim's Progress" which as you probably already know, is an Christian allegory written in the 16 hundreds by John Bunyan.) A good true story is an autobiography called "I Dared to Call Him Father," by Bilquis Sheikh (with Richard Schneider). It's about a Muslim lady who became a Christian. Anyway, I'm pretty new too at finding good Christian books.  | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 4290 Registered: 9-2006  |
One you can find for free on the internet is 'foxes book of martyrs' I think I have it on my hard drive if anyone would like it just shoot me an e-mail and I will try to dig it up for you. River | ||
| Bskillet Registered user Username: Bskillet Post Number: 225 Registered: 8-2008 |
If you like Christian fiction, you might enjoy Joel Rosenberg's end-time-scenario books, like "The Last Jihad," etc.; or (I think the title is) "Deadline" by Randy Alcorn. If we're talking Christian fiction, I have to add all of the books of the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. These were supposedly written for children, but the theological depth is at times astounding. | ||
| Bb Registered user Username: Bb Post Number: 357 Registered: 7-2004 |
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis is another good one | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 1601 Registered: 4-2000  |
R. C. Sproul's classic book entitled "Chosen by God" is a must-read. Many consider this the best book that Dr. Sproul ever wrote. Also, Robert Morey's 315-page book "Death and the Afterlife" is most helpful for inquiring and former Adventists. Dr. Morey goes point by point, verse by verse, over the heresies proclaimed by the late SDA apologist, L. E. Froom, about the state of the dead. Books are like friends, we can't have too many good ones. Dennis Fischer | ||
| 8thday Registered user Username: 8thday Post Number: 749 Registered: 11-2007  |
My favorite book in the world is usually the one I'm reading at the moment. lol. Christ, The Sum of All Spiritual Things - Watchman Nee. Based off the gospel of John, one powerful little book. It's never taken me so long to digest a book so small. Sondra p.s. now I have to make a wish list too. Lots of good suggestions!! (Message edited by 8thday on March 04, 2009) | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 672 Registered: 7-2007 |
Yes, there are lots of good books out there, and unfortunately, lots of bad ones too. Once when I was in the Christian book store, I was looking through one of the Christian fiction stories. Big mistake! This one was horrible! So, I'm hesitant to just look through any book now. Being new, I too ask questions to find out what is good. | ||
| Bskillet Registered user Username: Bskillet Post Number: 232 Registered: 8-2008 |
I have another one. I'm just started reading Paul, Apostle of the Heart Set Free by F.F. Bruce. Really good so far. Bruce was one of the most respected New Testament scholars of the past 100 years. | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 677 Registered: 7-2007 |
Does anyone know if this is true? I heard that Ellen White wrote a book on the life of Paul, but that she had copied it word for word from another author who hadn't copyrighted his book. I heard that the SDA church was forced to take the book off their shelves because the real author threatened to make it public that Ellen White had copied it. Since he hadn't copyrighted it, the church could have legally stolen his work, but they didn't want their members to find out that she had copied it. Anyway is that true? | ||
| Raven Registered user Username: Raven Post Number: 982 Registered: 7-2004  |
The Truth or Fable website has a section discussing this allegation, and they seem to think it is an unfounded criticism that Sydney Cleveland stated in his book. The link below specifically addresses the supposed lawsuit, and you can click on previous and next to read the whole thing. http://www.truthorfables.net/conybeare-howson-cleveland-g.htm | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 1602 Registered: 4-2000 |
Ellen White's plagiarism is bad enough in itself, but she firmly denied ever using other writer's thoughts and only quoted angels (in that case she claimed to use quotation marks). She frequently prefaced her plagiarized material with the phrase "I was shown" to make the reader think that all the thoughts came directly from the throne of God. In contrast, the writers of the Bible never claimed that they didn't occasionally utilize other sources. This stark difference goes to the very heart of Ellen White's integrity. Indeed, she took uninspired thoughts from the so-called "false shepherds" of her day and somehow made them into "inspired" writings. Dennis Fischer | ||
| Bskillet Registered user Username: Bskillet Post Number: 235 Registered: 8-2008 |
Under current U.S. law (though I can't speak for law in the 19th century), a writing is copyrighted the moment you write it. So there is no sense in which someone can legally copy and re-write your work if you don't file a copyright. Copyright filings are merely for creating a record that you had created such and such a work by date such and such. But if you had published a work before someone published the identical work in another form and claimed authorship, that would be copyright infringment regardless of whether or not you had filed. But as I said, I cannot speak to what the law was in EGW's day. | ||
| Honestwitness Registered user Username: Honestwitness Post Number: 817 Registered: 7-2005  |
To me, the plaigiarism charge against Ellen White is not very useful to convince Adventists she was a false prophet. They're too well-rehearsed at slithering out from under the charges. So, therefore, I guess what I'm saying is that I don't think it matters what the laws were in the 1800s. To me, the most useful tool in getting Adventists at least silenced enough to think about it is the fact that the Bible says that if even one prophecy fails, the prophet is a false prophet. I keep reminding my Adventist husband about EGW's "I was shown" statement on page 75 of Early Writings that Jerusalem would never be rebuilt. So far, he hasn't even tried to give any kind of justification for that one. There is nothing but silence from him on that. In fact, he pretty much refuses to discuss any aspect of Adventism with me any more. Honestwitness | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 1608 Registered: 4-2000 |
It is not by accident that Martin Luther considered "The Bondage of the Will" to be his most important book. Luther argued from the Bible that the flesh profits nothing and this "nothing" ( the mythical "island of righteousness" supposedly untouched by the Fall) is not a little "something." Dennis Fischer | ||
| Berit Registered user Username: Berit Post Number: 55 Registered: 7-2007 |
I read a book by Bob George soon after I left adventism, I think it was called "Simple Christianity" or something like that. It explains in a simple and clear way what christianity is about. Good for unlearning adventism | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 9546 Registered: 12-2003 |
It's called Classic Christianity. It's a good book. Colleen |
