| Author | Message | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 1662 Registered: 7-2007 |
Of course the BEST book to read is the Bible!!! The curious thing about that is that when I was an Adventist, I could only read a couple verses or so, before my mind would start to wander onto other subjects. Now I can read a whole chapter without my mind wandering!!!  Anyway I wanted to mention a couple other books. One is "Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God." The author told about Chambers' spiritual journey including a FOUR YEAR dry spell! I'd read about dry spells where the Heaven's seem like brass, from a newsletter by David Wilkerson. When I was an Adventist, I wouldn't have known a "dry spell" if it had come and hit me on the side of the head! As an Adventist, it was NATURAL not to ever sense God's Presence. I'd never even heard of such a thing until after I became a Christian! Anyway after the "dark night of the soul," he wrote to a friend about a person's pious tendency to worship their own earnestness, saying: "it is a pious fraud that suits the natural man immensely. He [God] makes holy, He sanctifies, He does it all. All I have to do is come as a spiritual pauper, not ashamed to beg." Another excellent book is "The Heavenly Man" about a Chinese preacher who dared to go against the authorities and preach the gospel. (China has an officially sanctioned church called the "Three Self Church" that preaches only what they allow. Preaching the whole gospel if forbidden.) I especially liked how God miraculously brought him out of prison, telling him; "the God of Peter is your God." (Message edited by Asurprise on January 23, 2011) | ||
| Martin Registered user Username: Martin Post Number: 138 Registered: 11-2008 |
I would recommend "God's Lavish grace" by Terry Virgo. I heard him speak about God's grace in a Christian conference just a couple of months after I stopped attending the SDA church and it was really good. Some time after I bought the book and it was the same as his presentation, but more extended. Helped me a lot to define many things that I had already started seeing. "The ordinary hero - Living the cross and resurrection" by Tim Chester. The author tries to show how the pattern for Christian living is modelled on the cross of Jesus and how our hope for the future is based on his resurrection. A very challenging read. The biography "J. Hudson Taylor: A man in Christ" is really interesting as well. A wonderful testimony of one of the first missionaries in the XIXth century who willingly identified himself with the Chinese people so he could carry the Gospel to everyone. It's really encouraging to read about how God can work through a really committed person. | ||
| Joyfulheart Registered user Username: Joyfulheart Post Number: 803 Registered: 10-2006 |
I'm reading a FABULOUS book by David Wilkerson called "Knowing God by Name." I also just finished a great missionary biography called "Before We Kill and Eat You" by Ruth Garlock. Both were great. Oh, by the way, before that I read "Bruchko" (missionary autobiography)by Bruce Olson. I recommend all of these books highly! Next, I think I'm going to reread a book I read years ago that revolutionized my prayer life and gave me a peek at spiritual warfare. It's fiction, but based on biblical truth. Its called "This Present Darkness." The first 30 or so pages were unremarkable, but after that it was a book that I couldn't put down. I'm gonna read that one again... | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 8936 Registered: 3-2004  |
There are so many good books to read, but I have stuck with the Bible. I am now attending Bible Study Fellowship. We are going into our 4th week tomorrow. The book of Isaiah is very intersting. Diana L | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 7112 Registered: 9-2006  |
Joyfulheart, I would be interested in reading "The Present Darkness" if I can find it. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 12198 Registered: 12-2003  |
I recommend Classic Christianity by Bob George. It was a huge help to me when I was freshly "out" in learning to understand how to live in Christ with my new identity. He explains that we cannot have two identities at once; we can no longer claim our besetting sins (alcoholic, anorexic, rageaholic, etc) AND child of God. He uses case studies to explain how we begin to live by the Spirit and stay in the truth of our adoption. Two other really impacting books for me were Knowing God by J. I. Packer and Bible Doctrine (or the unabridged Systematic Theology) by Wayne Grudem. Colleen | ||
| Joyfulheart Registered user Username: Joyfulheart Post Number: 805 Registered: 10-2006 |
River, This Present Darkness is by Frank Peretti. He also wrote "Piercing the Darkness" and "Prophet." All of them are fabulous - and have similar themes (Christ centered spiritual warfare), but completely different stories. I get my books through www.christianbook.com. They're cheaper there. Would you be interested in borrowing my copy? By the way, I forgot to include the Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce and Mere Christianity all by C.S. Lewis. They're all fabulous books! Patty | ||
| Hec Registered user Username: Hec Post Number: 1588 Registered: 3-2009 |
The Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness by Frank Peretti, are very interesting if you are interested in spirits and "other worlds" happenings. I have read both and others from the same author, and they did keep my attention. They are used in some SDA academies to teach literature because in the words of an academy English teacher "they are the closest to the Great Controversy theme that I have found." She has a stack of them in her office to loan to the students when they are going through that type of literature. Hec | ||
| Rossbondreturns Registered user Username: Rossbondreturns Post Number: 80 Registered: 10-2009  |
I just finished The God Hater by Bill Myers. His stuff is ALWAYS fascinating fiction. This one about an avowed Atheist who ends up playing to part of God to a Computerized Civilization...and the change in himself. Fantastic. | ||
| Heretic Registered user Username: Heretic Post Number: 305 Registered: 2-2005 |
"The Holiness of God" by R.C. Sproul; "The Attributes of God, Volumes 1 and 2" by A.W. Tozer (formerly called "Knowledge of the Holy"). You can't come away from either of those books unaffected. No longer will you be able to tolerate fluffy, therapeutic/self-help, seeker-driven, moralistic preaching and worship. | ||
| Believer247 Registered user Username: Believer247 Post Number: 215 Registered: 3-2009 |
I would also recommend "Classic Christianity" by Bob George. I just finished reading "Heaven is For Real" by Todd Burpo. Very interesting. I ordered it from Amazon. I have "This Present Darkness" by Frank Peritti, but have not read it yet. It was given to me a year or so ago by a Christian friend. | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 2726 Registered: 8-2004  |
"Mere Christianity" and "Miracles"by CS Lewis "Mere Churchianity" by Michael Spencer | ||
| Indy4now Registered user Username: Indy4now Post Number: 985 Registered: 2-2008  |
I love Watchman Nee... he wrote both The Normal Christian Life and Released of the Spirit. I also love Francis Chan's book "The Forgotten God". This book is about the Holy Spirit. Very good read! | ||
| 1john2v27nlt Registered user Username: 1john2v27nlt Post Number: 262 Registered: 5-2009 |
I second the Frances Chan book 'The Forgotten God'. I've just read it & recommended it to my friends. |
