It has now been nearly ten years that I have been
doing an annual “recommended reading” list comprised of books I have read over
the previous year that I found the most helpful and most worthwhile. I
have been asked many times if every book I read makes my list. The answer
is that usually about half make the list and about half do not. Some
books are mediocre and some just do not appeal to a very wide audience.
Most of my readers are laymen, so I try to keep that in mind when recommending
books. If a book is more geared toward pastors, I try and point that
out. From the outset, my weblogs have been for the purpose of encouraging
believers to think a little deeper about biblical truth and contemporary
issues, and that place where the two meet. My recommended reading list
tries to maintain that same philosophy. With that being said, here is
part 1 of my recommended reading list comprised of the best books I have read
in 2016.
Billy Graham’s books have always been good tools to use to introduce persons to
Christ both from an apologetics standpoint and also when it comes to some of
the basics new believers need to know. His name recognition and longevity
in the public eye give him a lot of credibility with many people. His
book Where I Am: Heaven, Eternity, and Our Life Beyond goes through the
books of the Bible, starting with Genesis and continuing through
Revelation discussing what each book has to say about Heaven, eternity, and our
life beyond our earthly existence. It is encouraging, uplifting, and a
great book to put into the hands of another person; particularly a non-believer
or skeptic. It is not particularly deep, but does help the reader to focus on
Heaven throughout.
Every
believer needs to have, at least a basic understanding of the Protestant
Reformation; most of all the key names associated with it and the main issues
at hand. The Unquenchable Flame: Discovering the Heart of the
Reformation by Michael Reeves is a well-written, concise, and enjoyable
overview of the Reformation. The book helps the reader get inside the
thinking of the major figures and grasp their positions. 2017 marks the
500th anniversary of what is recognized as the beginning of the
Protestant Reformation. We all need to understand it better.
This year Michael Reeves became one of my favorite authors. Do not miss
his simple little book Enjoy Your Prayer Life. It offers great
encouragement where prayer is concerned and learning to better enjoy the
communion we have with the Father, as Jesus also did.
Many wonder what happened to the Apostles of our Lord after the biblical
account ends. There are many myths and legends surrounding what each may
have done, how he died, where he traveled, etc. After Acts: Exploring
the Lives and Legends of the Apostles by Bryan Litfin is a great resource
to help you separate fact from fiction. The author does not try and sway
the reader to his opinions on matters, but instead merely presents evidence for
and against various claims. Then, at the end of each chapter gives a
“report card” and assigns a grade to the likelihood of each claim based on evidence.
I found the book to be extremely enjoyable, helpful, and enlightening.
Often believers, and even pastors, who have a very high view of Scripture still
misinterpret key passages. There are many places where misinterpretations
have grown into “urban legends.” Author, David A. Croteau, has written a
very helpful book titled Urban Legends of the New Testament: 40
Misconceptions. Each of the 40 short chapters of the book deal with
another “urban legend.” Examples of the issues he covers include “Did
Jesus really sweat drops of blood?” “Was the ‘eye of the needle’ a gate in
Jerusalem?” “Are we not supposed to judge others?” “Should the
words found in John 3:16, and following, appear in red in our Bibles?”
“Does the Bible teach that women should not wear jewelry?” The layout of
the book is very easy to follow, reader-friendly, and helpful.
Sorrow, sadness, and depression are not pleasant topics, but they are problems
real people have to deal with on a regular basis. How do we handle these
things? I was encouraged by reading Zack Eswine’s book Spurgeon’s
Sorrows: Realistic Hope for Those Who Suffer from Depression. The
“Prince of Preachers” Charles Haddon Spurgeon suffered from several malady’s
including bouts of depression. The book is an intertwining of Spurgeon's
insights into his own depression, depression in general, and Scriptural clarity
on the whole issue. I believe this book is worth your time to read.
In years past, Christians did not talk about or worry too much about how we got
our Bible. They trusted the Word and believed it simply came from God and
was to be revered, honored, and obeyed. In an increasingly skeptical
culture it has now become important that believers know more about the origins
of their faith. In particular, believers need to know about the origins
of God’s Word so they can defend false claims leveled against it.
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor Timothy Paul Jones, recognizing
the need to equip laymen, has put together a concise 6-part study series called
How We Got the Bible. In addition to the DVD sessions, there is a
book which is very good and certainly worthwhile to read. The book
contains many charts that help the reader see in clear terms some of the
realities in how the Bible came to be. The DVD sessions and the book
chapter titles are identical. These include “What’s So Special about the
Bible?” “How We Got the Old Testament,” How We Got the New Testament,” “How the
Books of the New Testament Were Chosen,” “How the New Testament Was
Copied,” and “How We Got the Bible in English.”
Earlier this year I was privileged to preach through the joyful New Testament
Book of Philippians on Sunday mornings. D. A. Carson’s book Basics for
Believers: An Exposition of Philippians was helpful and easy to
follow. Another simple, yet doctrinally sound commentary that was also
helpful was Philippians by Geoffery Wilson. John MacArthur’s
volume on Philippians in his New Testament Commentary Series was
also solid and useful. For pastors and anyone really wanting to study the book
deeply, do not miss Peter T. O’Brien’s The Epistle to the Philippians in
the NIGTC series.
In Christ,
Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor
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