That last post reminded me of another old post of mine. I once compiled a list of some of the books I've read that have had a significant impact on the way I think and on what I believe. I repost it here for your consideration. By the way, it is a very old post and so I have no idea if any of the links will work....
Here's a list of some of the best and most influential books I've read. It isn't a complete list, by any means, but as I remember other important books I will add them to the list. Also if I read anything new that I feel is deserving I'll add that as well. I hope that this will be a valuable resource for some of you. Let me know what you think!
1.
The Plot by Bob Enyart
No matter what, read this one first! It's expensive but worth it. If you cannot afford it call 1-888-8Enyart and talk to Bob about it. He's more interested in getting the information out than he is about making money so he'll take whatever you can afford. I cannot over stress this enough. You must read this book. If you do not understand the teachings in The Plot (whether you've read the book or not) then you do not understand the Bible. It's as simple as that.
2.
The Complete Green Letters by Miles J. Stanford
This one will be lots cheaper in fact the whole first section of the book is available online for free
HERE.
When I first read this book it totally glazed my eyes over. I hated it! But I picked it up again after having read The Plot and it totally changed my life! What a difference it makes when you understand the plot of the Bible and the distinctive nature of Paul's ministry and message. This book has had the largest impact on how I live my life day to day than any other extra-biblical book. In fact, while The Plot covers similar material it was this books presentation of the Gospel of Grace that really made me see it and understand how it is supposed to work on a practical day to day level. Awesome!
3.
Things That Differ - by C.R. Stam
This one further establishes the biblical validity of Acts 9 Dispensationalism. There are actually several such books but this one does the best job I've seen aside from The Plot and I like to recommend it because it gives you a thorough presentation of the Biblical material from someone who is not associated in any way with Bob Enyart or his ministry.
I remember thinking that it was odd that Bob was the only one who had ever figured this stuff out and was relieved to find that he is not and that, in fact, there are world-wide ministries (i.e.
The Berean Bible Society) which teach nearly identical theology.
4.
Bob Enyart's Bible Studies – by Bob Enyart
This is the only departure from actual books on my list. These are Bible studies that Bob has recorded on tape or CD. I recommend all of them. Simply call 1-888-8Enyart and get them started coming to your house every month. Unless you end up going Derby School of Theology, these will give you the most in depth Biblical teaching you will every get, period. In addition to that, if you read the rest of what's on my list and accept its teaching, some Bible teaching that actually teaches you something will be in desperate demand, as some of you have already discovered. When I came to understand these teachings, I found a new appreciation for the saying "ignorance is bliss". Be warned, the truth has the effect of isolating you in a sea of ignorance and apathy. A nice place to be for those who are wise.
5.
The Normal Christian Life - by Watchman Nee
This one I recommend with a bit of trepidation. This is the ONLY volume written by Nee that anyone should ever read. Everything else he wrote is worthless. It is amazing that someone so confused about everything else could get this one so right! So read this AFTER you've read the others already listed and get from it what you can (which is a lot) and then forget that Nee existed. Truly, his other books are almost completely worthless.
6.
Romans: Verse by Verse - by William Newell
Simply the best commentary on Romans in existence (that I know of). Brilliant!
7.
Does God Have a Future? – by Chris Hall & John Sanders
This one is a discussion/debate between Hall and Sanders. They are friends and besides some excellent argumentation on both sides, it's just a terrific example of how such debates should be carried out. The respect these two have for one another is obvious and the result is a terrific example of how Biblical disagreements should be handled between men of good character and conscience.
8.
Mere Christianity – by C.S. Lewis
This is a classic that every Christian should read. Enough said.
9.
The Chronicles of Narnia – by C.S. Lewis
This is a must, especially if you have kids or sometimes feel like a kid inside. This isn't a theological book but rather a Christian allegory. I only mention it here because I just had Lewis on my mind and couldn't resist. The only word of warning on these books is that in the finale Lewis presents what basically amounts to a sort of universalism which is obviously an error of his theology that crept into the work. If you can over look that one problem, this is an exceptional work of fiction that everyone seems to love.
10.
The Big Questions: Philosophy for Everyone – by Nils Ch. Rauhut
This book is for those of you who have never taken a philosophy course. In fact, it reads very much like you are sitting in a philosophy class. It is very readable, very understandable and very down to Earth; the subtitle is perfectly right. Anyone can pick up this book and have a solid working knowledge of the basics of philosophy and logic. This book will definitely make you a better debater because you will understand more clearly the underlying issues of a question usually before the person who asked the question does.
11.
Please Understand Me – by Kersey & Bates
This is a secular work about personality profiles. It has a test in it that tells you what your personality profile is and a lot about why you do the things you do. Once you become familiar with the principles in the book you'll be able to "size people up" with relative ease and will thereby be able to understand where they are coming from and can anticipate their behavior. Absolutely invaluable for married couples as well as anyone else who has close personal relationships with people they sometimes don't understand.
12.
God of the Possible: A Biblical Introduction to the Open View of God – by Gregory Boyd
The title pretty much tells the story on this one. Brilliant book!
13.
The God Who Risks: A Theology of Providence – by John Sanders
If you read this one and God of the Possible, you'll have Open Theism down pat!
14.
Divine Foreknowledge: Four Views – by Gregory Boyd, David Hunt, William Lane Graig & Paul Helm
Each author presents their view on the divine foreknowledge debate and a response to the other views. Boyd presents some of the best Open View arguments I've ever heard of in this book (aside from Bob's of course
).
15.
The Witness of the Stars – by E.W. Bullinger
This one is all about how the Gospel story is found in the Zodiac of all places. As it turns out the stars were the Bible before there was the Bible. Others have published very similar material but this is by far the best. I love the old English that Bullinger used (the book was written in 1893).
16.
Can Man Live Without God - by Ravi Zacharias
This is a brilliant apologetic for the Christian faith. Better perhaps than even Mere Christianity.
17.
You Cannot Live the Christian Life - by Bob Hill
This is a sermon that Pastor Hill preached that has been converted into booklet form. The teaching here is crucial for the Christian to understand. The key to the Christian life is not performance but relationship. Love God and become more and more aware of His immediate presence in every moment of your life. This booklet goes along perfectly with The Complete Green Letters.
You'll have to contact Pastor Hill in order to get a copy of this one. You can contact him through his website -
BiblicalAnswers.com.
18.
Charismatic Chaos - by John MacArthur
If my father in-law had read and paid any attention to this book at all, he would still be alive today. This book exposes Benny Hinn and the other crack-pots like him for the con artists they are.
19.
Classic Christianity: Life's Too Short to Miss the Real Thinghttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/s...ords=Classic+Christianity&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go - by Bob George
Disapointed in your Christian walk? This is the book for you.
For a man who isn't an Acts 9 Dispensationalist George comes as close as anyone can to getting the answers to the following questions right...
- What does it mean to have Christ living in me?
- How can I experience the joy of the Lord daily?
- If I'm a new creation, why do I still struggle with sin?
20.
To Train Up A Childhttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/104-1513849-6259138 - by Michael Pearl
Perhaps the best book written on the subject of raising Godly children.
21.
Christian Child-Rearing and Personality Developmenthttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_1/104-1513849-6259138?v=glance&s=books - by Paul Meier
This is also an excellent book for any parent to read. It is more clinical and scientific than To Train Up a Child and is chop full of very interesting and useful information about why children do the things they do.
22.
Rich Dad Poor Dad - by by Sharon L. Lechter, Robert T. Kiyosaki
This book will change the way you think about money forever.
23.
The Richest Man in Babylon - by George S. Clason
What a great book this one is! If the Christian reader can get past the fact that it is set in ancient Babylon, there is a wealth of really terrific information about how people get money and more importantly how they keep it. This one is even better than Rich Dad Poor Dad really and I would recommend reading it first.
24.
Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto - by Mark Levin
The best book on modern American politics in existence. The only book you need to read to understand what it means to be politically conservative in America today. Simply brilliant.
25.
Atlas Shrugged - by Ayn Rand
I "read" this book via the audio book version. Its the only way to go. I started to actually read it several times and gave up. Listening to it on my lunch hour and on the way to and from work was the ticket
Simply the best book I've ever read, bar none - period - end of sentence.
Beware! This book is written by a
BRILLIANT atheist. If you understand the book, it WILL challenge your faith. I don't recommend this for new Christians nor for anyone who is particularly sensitive to anything that mentions human sexuality in any emotionally meaningful way. Ayn pulls no punches with this book and she is brutally rational. Interestingly, in my view, this brutal intellectual adherence to rationality (i.e. reality) is precisely what makes this book more consistent with Biblical truth than any other work of fiction I've ever read.
Well that's it for now! More to come soon.
Oh! By the way, except for the first few, these are not in any particular order.
God bless!
Resting in Him,
Clete
