Books for Guidance

[Ressmont]

In the past week I have been visiting your forum and reading members’ questions and responses. This is a wonderful forum I have come upon! How priceless it is to discover a place of such truth with knowledgeable yet unclouded answers. I look at numerous people in the present generation trusting worldly claims and plunging into deception; then I sorrow that they believe they have savvied God. Would that many could drop by here, linger, and digest the writings of Eternal Path and others.

Now, for my first post...and hope I am not duplicating an already question.

So many thousands of Christian/religious books have been published and read throughout the years. Other than the Holy Bible, in your growing relationship with Christ what books (old or new) have most influenced you? What authors best give you guidance and/or encouragement?

[SERay]

Books that Best Inspired Outside of Bible

Thank you for your positive comments regarding the forum Ressmont. I like to think of it as a hidden jewel lying quietly within large city called the internet. It does contain much content detailing the core aspects of the Christian life. I have never been persuaded to market the forum though, rather allowing the Holy Spirit to lead people here as He directs.

This is a great topic Ressmont. My pastoral library fills several cases, although some of the books may end up at Goodwill. It is divided up into Christian History, Biography, Theology, Apologetics, Historical and Current Culture and Fiction. The most used are the Bible commentaries, Bible Dictionaries, Lexicons, Bible Encyclopedias, Apocrypha, and other such resources. Many of the other books are written as a story line or general reference to a spiritual theme. However, I can honestly say, there would only be a few books I cherish of them all.

Of those which I consider the most important to my spiritual walk are as following.

1) "Clement of Rome" written in 96 AD by Clement to the Corinthians
2) "Polycarp of Symrna" written in 150 AD by Irenaeus
3) "The Imitation of Christ" written in 1410 by Thomas à Kempis.
4) "A Serious Call to a Devout & Holy Life" written in 1744 by William Law
5) "Power, Passion, & Prayer" written in 1850 by Charles G. Finney
6) "The Overcoming Life" written in 1896 by Dwight L. Moody
7) "Walking with God" written in 1890 by Andrew Murray
8) "Pursuit of Holiness" written in 1978 by Jerry Bridges

There are certainly other books I could add, but for lack of time, this will be my abbreviated list.

As you may note, my favorites are from yesteryear. As today's music talent leaves much to be desired, I find the modern Christian bookstore to be lined with books not suitable for Christian consumption. I will not list what immensely popular authors and books that I consider departures from God's counsel, but there are many. I prefer works that have been proven over time and still stand out as champions for the Spirit.

[Ressmont]

Yes indeed, Eternal Path, I see you are a lover of the proven faithful writers. I too am encouraged and challenged by the gifted wisdom from a number of those who lived valorously for Christ and have gone on before.

And I agree with you regarding modern Christian bookstore picks. Years ago I was employed by a Bible bookstore. As I walked the shelves each morning prior to opening, I am ashamed to say that I deliberately positioned some of the books by particular authors behind other volumes to hide them from easy view. That was wrong, for it was not my place; however God has forgiven me. If I had the opportunity today, undeniably I would dig a pit outside in back of the store and bury quite a heap of the (as you say) "books not fit for Christian consumption" that they peddle.

[Ressmont]

Rev. James Stalker's books

Does anyone remember the books of Rev. James W. Stalker (Scotland, 1848-1927)? Some of his books are:

Christ Our Example (Imago Christi)
The Life of Jesus Christ
The Life of St. Paul
The Trial and Death of Jesus Christ
The Teaching of Jesus Concerning Himself
The Seven Deadly Sins and The Seven Cardinal Virtues

These are the only volumes I have of Stalker. He speaks to me deeply and I return to his books over and over.

[Sandy]

Thought I would share with you what some of my favorite books have been through the years.... and still are my favorite.

1. The Power of the Blood of Jesus by Andrew Murray
2. The Holiest of All by Andrew Murray
3. Covenants and Blessings by Andrew Murray
4. Rees Howell Intercessor by Norman Grubb
5. Stones of Remembrance by Fuchsia Pickett
6. Rediscovering The Kingdom by Myles Munroe

As you can see Andrew Murray is one of my favorite authors/pastor. There are many of his books on my shelves. His writings are rich and they just make me hunger for more of HIM.

Rees Howell was from Wales, and there were times when Winston Churchill was asking him for prayer and seeking for any guidance he might have received through prayer(during the war years) In 2000 several of us went on a prayer mission trip and we actually visited the home and the Bible College and was able to have a private setting with his son Samuel.

As for Fuchsia Pickett. She was a Methodist Pastor for 17 years. She "knew" the Scriptures as she had been taught, and she loved the Lord. Yet she did not believe in healing for today nor the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Well, after HE healed her of a disease that had already taken several of her family members AND filled her with His Holy Spirit all in one day she made this statement: I said these words to my Teacher, the Holy Spirit: "Now, healing has happened to me, and I was taught it was not for today. And I have experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit in a way that I did not believe in. How do I know that the rest of what I have been taught is right? So let's start over." And indeed HE did start her over.

Here is a quote from pg 33:
"My divine "Teacher" had come to fill me with Himself and to split open the veil between my soul and my spirit. He intervened in my desperate circumstances and healed me miraculously when my mind did not believe the doctrine of heaing. For the first time in my life I began to understand, through revelation, the same Scriptures I had studied and taught faithfully for many years. They came alive to me, not as information, but as power that was working in me and transforming my life."

As for Myles Munroe.... he is from the Bahamas. My husband once said: "When that man speaks it is worth listening to." Have never heard Ron ever say that about any other person. Myles Munroe will always be elaborating on what Kingdom means. Thus, Rediscovering the Kingdom. As he states often... Jesus came to establish the Kingdom on earth.... in our hearts. That is what HE taught. Kingdom!

There are other books I am also reading now that HE is using to stir my heart. But I won't share about them at this time. This note is lengthy enough.

Shalom,
Sandy

[Ressmont]

Like Sandy, Andrew Murray is one my favorite authors as well.

I meandered over to the Eternal Path website today and was pleased to find two books of my favorite modern authors there under the link of "Best Books on Subject."

Dave Hunt--Solid Bible doctrine. I have most everything he has written. The Seduction of Christianity started me out and I kept on buying books from there.

Texe Marrs--Some people call him a New Age conspiracy nut. Uh huh, what do they say now that it is all coming true? Most of his books are in my library too.

[Ressmont]

The Hiding Place

Last week I picked out my old 1971 copy of "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom from my bookshelves. I have read it several times, but not in the past 20 or so years. Most of you have probably enjoyed it with its stories of the ten Boom family in Nazi-controlled Holland and how they worked with the Dutch resistance movement helping Jews escape and hiding Jews behind a wall in their home, The Beje.

Being a rainy day, I decided to sit down and read it once again. This time, however, I found myself making numerous marks and notations in the margins. From the beginning it made me queasy how astounding alike was Corrie's world and our world today--since I am an American, here in free America! Holland was free and Christian, but suddenly like an anvil falling from the sky, the country was seized and controlled by war and imprisoned by Nazi German socialism. The quaint life of a middle-aged Dutch watchmaker was turned horribly upside down.

Page after page was eerily reading like today's news. I wonder if people will wake up in time? Perhaps we are indeed finally at the End of the Age.

Anyway, I thought I would mention to anyone interested that this is a book worth reading or re-reading again. The central message of Corrie ten Boom's book "The Hiding Place" is forgiveness and that Christ is the Victor over any sort of evil and that faith can indeed move mountains in impossible places and that Jesus is all that we need, no matter how difficult the circumstances.