Favorite Books

Listed below are some of my favorite books. I have linked them to their corresponding Amazon page for your convenience only. The books listed here have helped to shape me spiritually. In fact, if it is listed here, it has changed me. They are not listed in any particular order. Happy Reading!

DISCLAIMER: I do not condone nor recommend these authors without discernment. Some have an unbiblical (albeit secondary) belief or two and others may have departed from the way of truth without me knowing it. I found these specific books listed below to be helpful in my spiritual growth and I recommend them. But, as always, be a Berean both in how you approach these books and these authors.

 

MISSIONARY and OTHER BIOGRAPHIES

From Wealth to Faith by Mollie Zook

—Hans and Netta learn to place their trust in God during the very difficult seasons that come when Communism takes over their country of Ukraine.

Green Leaf in Drought by Isobel Kuhn

–I have never read a missionary book that has touched me more.  It is the story of a young couple who are in China just as the communist regime is taking over.  Due to the dynamics surrounding that takeover, they end up friendless in the middle of that vast country with no escape.  They have to rely on God for everything–food,  medical care, and their personal safety.  And God meets those needs.  It is an amazing story of a wonderful couple caught in the whirlwind of a major political change in a country hostile to Christianity.  It is my favorite missionary biography.

The Story of John G. Paton Or Thirty Years Among South Sea Cannibals by John Gibson Paton (this is free for Kindle)

—I can’t recommend this book highly enough. This is the account of Paton’s missionary journeys to the New Hebrides Islands (which now go by the name “Vanuatu”) I found this book not only extremely interesting but also very challenging.

Things We Couldn’t Say by Diet Eman

—This is the story of a Christian young woman who helped with the Resistance movement in Holland during WW II. Her courage will move and challenge you.

Adventures of Missionary Heroism by John C. Lambert

—Lambert wrote this book in the early 1900s to encourage young people to understand what true heroism looks like. You will likely have never heard of any of the men and women in this book and yet they made such an impact for Christ. I highly, highly recommend this book! It has profoundly affected me.

How I Know God Answers Prayer, The Personal Testimony of One Lifetime by Rosalind Goforth (this is free for Kindle)

–Rosalind was the wife of well-known missionary, Jonathan Goforth. This book tells their story from her point of view and focuses on how God answered many prayers during her life. She also spends some time talking about when God doesn’t answer, as in the case of losing their precious child despite their prayers.

Not Forgotten: Inspiring Missionary Pioneers by David J. Brady

–This book tells the stories of many unsung heroes–missionaries that gave up everything to share the Gospel. It was such an inspiring book for both encouragement and for challenging my own status quo life.

Mission Vietnam: Under His Wings by Stephen Lehmann

–This is Ruth Wilting’s account of being a missionary during the fall of Viet Nam. This book was especially hard to read but well worth it.

George Muller: Delighted in God by Roger Steer

–How big is your God?  This biography was wonderful!  George Muller relied on God to meet the needs of “his” orphans and God did not disappoint!  Read this and be amazed at the way God meets needs.  Sometimes, here in America, we are so independent and without need, that we forget how big our God is.

 The Light That Was Dark by Warren Smith

—This is the biography of a man who became very involved in the new age movement in the late 70s and 80s and how he came to know Christ. The shocking thing is that much of what he describes from his new age days sounds eerily similar to what is going on in the church today! This is well worth your time and will give you a much better perspective on what is going on in mainstream Christianity today.

Surprised by God by Faith Cook

–This is an excellent book about remarkable men and women whom God used. I think the thing that hit me most about this book was that so many of them were pulled from rebellious, wasteful life styles to be used by God in mighty ways. We must never give up on those we love–no matter how hopeless it seems!

Dispatches from the Front by Tim Keesee

–This is one of the best books I have read in a very long time. If you want strengthen your faith and bolster your courage for the persecution to come, then get a copy of this book. His true stories of how the gospel is changing people in the heart of hostile lands is encouraging, awe-inspiring, and faith-building. I couldn’t recommend this higher.

 

THEOLOGY and CHRISTIAN LIVING

Basic Bible Interpretation-A Practical Guide to Discovering Biblical Truth by Roy B. Zuck

–If we don’t correctly interpret scripture, we will be left vulnerable to all kinds of false doctrines and teachings. This book lays out step by step the biblical method of interpreting the Bible. It does so in an easy-to-read fashion that isn’t so intellectual the average lay person can’t understand. Excellent!

The Coming Apocalypse by Dr. Renald E Showers

–This book was EXCELLENT. It’s a short and easy read that explains not only the “why” of replacement theology, but also its effects. I wish every believer would read this book before deciding what they believe about eschatology.

The Titanic and Today’s Church by Warren Smith

–This book really explains the mysticism that is entering the church like a tsunami wave. As a bonus, it gives a lot of history (and little known facts) about the sinking of the Titanic. Highly recommend!

Why Believe the Bible? by John MacArthur

–The Bible is an extra-ordinary book and this book tells you why. I regularly recommend this to Christians who are in doubt about the veracity of God’s Word.

God’s Battle Plan for the Mind by David W. Saxton

–This is a study on biblical meditation and its benefits for our lives. Drawn from the lives and writings of the Puritans, the author has given believers a battle plan for their minds with which to approach all of life. Highly recommend!

Humility by Andrew Murray

–This is the first book of substance I ever read. Until that point, I was filling my mind with the fluff of novels and pointless fiction. It started me on a journey that has led to much growth and this book will always hold a special place in my heart because of that. But, my own personal experience aside, it was an important study on this godly attribute of humility that I need to hear. (I should probably read it every year. Pride is such an insidious and subtle sin.) I highly recommend.

Soul-Depths and Soul-Heights by Octavius Winslow

–This book is a challenge and encouragement to all who find themselves in despair, discouragement, or in the midst of a trial.  It is a veritable treasure trove of scriptural encouragement and exhortation as we face painful circumstances.  

Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life by John Calvin

–This is just a small book that challenged me in my walk with Christ.  How does my Christian life look?  How should it look?  It is a very worthwhile and quick read.  I highly recommend it!

The Attributes of God by Arthur W. Pink

–Of all books I have ever read, I think this one was most helpful to me in understanding Who God is.  And let’s be honest– unless we understand Who God is, we can’t really understand salvation or the Christian life completely.  I wish every Christian would read this book.  

Is That You, Lord? by Gary Gilley

–-I cannot recommend this book highly enough! In this day and age, where believers are obsessed with hearing “special messages” from God and “encouraging whispers” from Jesus, this book gives us a solid, biblical perspective on this new wave that is sweeping through the church. I encourage you–if you choose any book from this page–to start with this one!

Loving God With All Your Mind by Elizabeth George

–Most sin, if not all, begin in our minds.  We have a thought and instead of refusing it, we nurse it.  This book was so very challenging to me on so many different levels.  Do you struggle with worry?  With bitterness?  With discouragement?  If so, this is a great book for you.

 

HELPFUL, HISTORICAL NOVELS

Hunted and Harried by R.M. (Robert Micheal) Ballantyne

—This is a novel about the Covenanters in Scotland and what they had to endure as they were severely persecuted in the late 1600s. It’s easy to read because it is a novel but really gives the reader a realistic sense of what it must have been like in those days.