Saturday, January 11, 2014

The Best Books in the World


Reading great books have changed who I am. Without these books,  my walk with the Lord would be less clear, less sweet, and I would be so unsure about what it looks like to walk close to the Lord on this earth. For this reason, I especially love biographies, because they have helped me learn by example. Those people have become my mentors. My hands down favorite book of all time is Evidence Not Seen by Darleen Rose.

Below is a wonderful book list of favorite books from my husband. I italisized a few of the books that are the most special to me. Also, I am adding a few more books to the list my husband made:

1.  By Searching by Isobel Kuhn
2.  Green Leaf in Drought-Time by Isobel Kuhn
3.  Climbing by Rosalind Goforth
4.  Goforth of China by Rosalind Goforth

5.  I Will Carry You by Angie Smith (2013)
***6.  A Grace Disguised by Jerry Sittser*** (2013)
7. Eric Liddell (by Catherine Swift - not sure if this is the exact book, but the man is a hero) 



"Most books say roughly the same thing as a hundred others just like them--like the hot new book on having a radical commitment to Jesus, or on building a solid marriage, etc. As writers and speakers wax and wane in the public eye, it is good and natural for those with recognition to use their influence by publishing fresh exhortations on common topics. On the other hand, there are a few books that stand out from the rest because they present a particular truth, or a great many truths, in concise or colorful ways. For what it's worth, these are the books that have made me what I am."
Dave Rieke



This is a list of what I consider to be the most important books in the world for making a person aware of what God says in Scripture and of how a believer can truly live the Christian life. I will eventually include short descriptions of what unique contribution each book makes to the Christian's academic understanding and his devotion to Christ.

To Increase Understanding about the General Content of the Entire Bible:
1.        Systematic Theology, Lewis Sperry Chafer (8 volume set, not the condensed 3 volume set which eliminated Chafer’s most important and controversial contributions to the theology of ecclesiology and eschatology [the church and the end times])
2.        Living by the Book, Howard Hendricks
3.        Dispensational Truth, Clarence Larkin
To Provide Examples (good and bad) of Christian Living that Inspire One’s Own Devotion
4.        Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret, Howard Taylor
5.        How I Know God Answers Prayer, Rosalind Goforth
6.        In the Arena, Isobel Kuhn
7.        Mountain Rain, Eileen Crossman
**8.        Evidence Not Seen, Darlene Rose
9.        By My Spirit, Jonathan Goforth
10.     Daylight Must Come, Helen Roseveare
11.     Living Sacrifice, Helen Roseveare
12.     Ann of Ava, Ethel Hubbard
13.     C.T. Studd, Norman Grubb
14.     Things as They Are, Amy Carmichael
15.     I Dared to Call Him Father, Bilqis Sheikh
16.     Just As I Am, David Ring
17.     Choices, Changes, Joni Tada
18.     Glenda’s Story, Glenda Revell
19.     Henrietta Mears, Ethel Baldwin
20.     George Muller, William Harding
21.     Days of Glory, Seasons of Night, Marilee Dunker
22.     These Strange Ashes, Elisabeth Elliot
23.     Molder of Dreams, Guy Doud
24.     Miracles in a Doctor’s Life, Walter Wilson, M.D.
25.     God Runs My Business: The Story of R.G. LeTourneau, Albert Lorimer
26.     Fresh Wind Fresh Fire, Jim Cymbala
27.     The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom
28.     The Persecutor, Sergei Kourdakov
29.     God’s Smuggler, Brother Andrew
30.     Tortured for His Faith, Harlan Popov
31.     Tortured for Christ, Richard Wurmbrand
32.     A Severe Mercy, Sheldon Vanauken
33.     Touching Incidents and Remarkable Answers to Prayer, Igor Kondratuk
To Understand the Spirit-Filled Life
34.     The Owners Manual, David Rieke
35.     He That Is Spiritual, Lewis Sperry Chafer
36.     Always in Triumph, Robert C. McQuilken
37.     Crowded to Christ, L.E. Maxwell
To Come to Groundbreaking Realizations about Various Aspects of the Christian Life
38.     Desiring God, John Piper
39.     Tale of Three Kings, Gene Edwards
40.     Churches That Abuse, Enroth
41.     Preaching to a Dying Nation, R.L. Hymers
42.     To Hell and Back, Maurice Rawlings, M.D.
43.     Total Truth, Nancy Pearcy
44.     Have We No Right?, Mabel Williamson
45.     Is God Good?, Randy Alcorn
46.     Spiritual Leadership, J. Oswald Sanders
47.     Wounded Spirit, Frank Peretti
To Defend the Christian Faith
48.     Case for Christ, Lee Strobel
49.     Can Man Live Without God?, Ravi Zacharias
50.     The Devil’s Delusion, David Berlinski
51.     There Is a God, Antony Flew
52.     The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Josh McDowell
To Understand Christian Psychology and Counseling
53.     Connecting, Larry Crabb
54.     Handbook to Happiness, Charles Solomon
55.     Myth of Greener Grass, J. Allen Petersen
56.     1000 Gifts, Ann Voskamp
57.     Total Money Makeover, Dave Ramsey
To Understand How a Christian Family Should Live Together
58.     Love and Respect, Emerson Eggrichs
59.     Bringing Up Boys, James Dobson
60.     Intended for Pleasure, Ed Wheat, M.D.
61.     Dare to Discipline, James Dobson
62.     Point Man, Steve Farrar
To Understand the Occult and Spiritual Warfare
63.     Demon Possession and the Christian, C. Fred Dickason
64.     What Demons Can Do to Saints, Merrell Unger
65.     Gods of Power, Phil Steyne
66.     Spirit of the Rain Forest, Mark Andrew Ritchie
To Understand the Charismatic Movement
67.     Counterfeit Revival, Hank Hanegraaff
68.     The Charismatics, John MacArthur
69.     Charismatic Chaos, John MacArthur
To Understand the Issues of Creation and Evolution
70.     Darwin’s Black Box, Michael Behe
71.     Darwin on Trial, Philip Johnson
72.     That Their Words May Be Used Against Them, Henry Morris of ICR
To Understand the Current State of Effectiveness in World Missions
73.     Operation World (most current edition), Patrick Johnson
74.     Eternity in Their Hearts, Don Richardson
To Learn about Christian Living Through Christian Allegories
75.     Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan
76.     In His Steps, Charles Sheldon
77.     Hinds’ Feet on High Places, Hanna Hurnard
Various “Non-Christian” Books of Importance for Practical Christian Living
78.     How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie
79.     Millionaire Next Door, Stanley and Danko
80.     Your Money or Your Life, Robin and Dominguez
81.     Gifted Hands, Ben Carson
82.     Once Upon a Town, Bob Greene
Best Commentaries on the Bible
83.     Commentary on the Old Testament, Keil and Delitzsch (10 voumes)
84.     Expositors Bible Commentary, Frank Gaebelein (13 volumes)
85.     Treasury of David, Charles Spurgeon
Other Personal Works by Dave Rieke
The Rise of the Evangelical Male
The Rise of the Evangelical Female
All the World’s a Stage

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