Reflection: Meditation, Devotion, Inspirational
THE CALL TO JOY AND PAIN Author Ajith Fernando
For the Christian, joy and pain are both integral parts of a life of service to God. This truth is clearly taught in the Bible and proved in Christian experience, both individual and corporate. The life of the churches outside the comfortable West reveals it with special clarity.
The Call to Joy and Pain explores the connection between rejoicing and suffering, and shows how our distress draws us nearer to God and makes us more effective in ministry. Ajith Fernando expounds Paul’s teaching in Colossians 1:24-29 about suffering for Christ, and draws on his own pastoral wisdom and cross-cultural experience, to demonstrate that pain can be a blessing, both to the individual Christian and to the churches.
This book will help Christians to embrace gladly a life of service and devotion to Christ; despite the suffering this entails.
Joni Tado wrote:
“I am truly grateful for the insights he shows in this exceptional new book.”
COUNTERFEIT GODS Author Tim Keller
Success, money, true love, and the life you’ve always wanted. Many of us placed our faith in these things, believing they held the key to happiness, but with a sneaking suspicion they might not deliver. No wonder we feel lost, alone, disenchanted, and resentful. There is only one God who can wholly satisfy our cravings – and now is the perfect time to meet Him again, or for the first time.
In Counterfeit Gods, Timothy Keller shows how a proper understanding of the Bible reveals the unvarnished truth about social ideals and our own hearts. This powerful message cements Keller’s reputation as a critical thinker and pastor, and comes at a crucial time – for both the faithful and the skeptical.
Wow … what a book!!! Every Christian should make sure they read this book and become better equipped to know the times in which we live.
GOSPEL DNA by Richard Coekin
“A robustly biblical and eminently practical handbook for applying the gospel to the ministry of the local church”. TIMOTHY KELLER |
How does the gospel drive and shape out churches and ministries today? The Apostle Paul once explained it in an explosive training day for the leaders of the Ephesian church. The principles of gospel ministry he outlined are outrageously simple but powerfully effective.
In clear and practical principles from Acts 20, Richard Coekin sets out how this “Gospel DNA” should shape our approach to growing and multiplying churches.
This book draws on his experience of leading a movement that has planted congregations in a variety of contexts across London. It will help you reflect upon dynamic strategies for growing gospel churches today.
D A CARSON wrote
“Don’t be satisfied with one copy buy a box of them and distribute them widely”. |
and make sure your pastor has a copy.
THE POWER OF STORY Author Leighton Ford
In this age of high-tech communication and endless formulas for successful evangelism, the most effective way to lead others to Christ is, surprisingly, also the oldest, purest, and most natural – the same way that Jesus, Paul, and all the early evangelists told the great Story of God’s grace.
In the Power of Story, Dr. Leighton Ford explains how you, too, can experience the joy of leading others to Christ – simply by telling them the story of how God has impacted your life. “Evangelism isn’t about formulas and programs,” Dr. Ford says. ‘It’s about what God has done in our lives. Evangelism is the result of God’s story intersecting with our story. He is the evangelist – not us.”
To illustrate what can happen when we share our story with those around us, Dr. Ford weaves through the book a tale of three friends whose lives are touched, one by one, by the power of God’s Story. By carefully examining the words and actions of the Christian men and women who tell their stories to Ben, Judith and Darrell, Dr. Ford reveals how a few simple words and small acts of Christian kindness can have eternal results.
If you have become a part of the Story of God, then you have a story to tell to those around you. “They are eager to hear it,” writes Dr. Ford. “They are dying to hear it. Any Christian can be an evangelist – and every Christian should.”
“For thirty years I have shared my faith and trained thousands of laity in the area of witnessing. At last, I have found a book that can help any person become an effective ‘fisher of men.’”
- JOHN C MAXWELL
An excellent book that will help you to recapture your zeal for leading others to Christ.
WHITER THAN SNOW Author Paul Tripp
Philip Ryken says of this book:
“Whiter than Snow, is music for the sinner’s soul. In fifty-two personal, creative, and sometimes poetic devotionals, Paul Tripp responds to Psalm 51 the way a jazz musician improvises on a familiar tune. In making this sweet music, Dr. Tripp makes King David’s confession our own, helping us get honest about our sin and opening our hearts to the mercy of Jesus.”
Convicting and encouraging, cutting and healing, Paul Trip delves into the misery of sin and the goodness of God’s grace with insight and inspiration. A marvelous application of Psalm 51.
USER’S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE Author Chris Wright
User’s Guide to the Bible is for people who want to get started on the Bible. It takes us on a guided tour of the Bible from beginning to end, starting at the book of Genesis. It introduces the main characters, explains what was happening, and shows what the book has to say to us today. It helps us get to grips with the Bible for ourselves.
A quick look inside the Bible shows that it is actually a collection of 66 books, some long, some short. To make it easier to find the way around, each book is split into chapters and verses. In this manual the usual shorthand method has been used to refer to Bible passages.
The manual has been designed for use alongside the Bible, rather than on its own. So, reading the Bible passages will help you begin to explore the Bible on your own.
For many people, the Bible is the most important book they have read. The User’s Guide to the Bible has been produced for people who want to know what the Bible has to say to them today.
This is a wonderful book which every Christian must read. It opens up the Bible beautifully and shows how the Bible fits together. This is a must-read, but especially for new Christians.
PLAY THE MAN – by Mark Batterson
Somewhere along the way, our culture lost its definition of manhood, leaving generations of men and men-to-be confused about their rules, responsibilities, and the reason that God made them men. Its in this “no-mans land” that New York Times bestselling author Mark Batterson declares his mantra for manhood play the man.
In this inspiring call to something greater, he helps men understand what it means to be a man of God by unveiling seven virtues of manhood. Mark shares inspiring stories of manhood, including the true story of the hero and martyr Polycarp, who first heard the voice from heaven say, “Play the man”. Mark couples these stories with practical ideas about how to disciple the next generation of men who will put God first, family second and career third.
This is more than a book; it’s a movement of men who will settle for nothing less than fulfilling their highest calling to be the man and the father that God has destined them to be.
Batterson is an excellent expositor of the Word of God but in this book PLAY THE MAN he is showing us how to live it out. A brilliant book for men who want to put God first, family 2nd and career last.
AWE Author Paul Tripp
(Why it matters for everything we think, say and do)
Our hearts are always captured by something – that’s how God made us. But sin threatens to distract us from the glory of our Creator. All too often, we stand in awe of everything but God.
Uncovering the lies we believe about all the earthly things that promise us peace, life and contentment. Paul Tripp redirects our gaze to God’s awe-inducing glory – showing how much a vision has the potential to impact our every thought, word and deed.
If you will read this book with a hungry and humble heart, God will use it to deepen your passion for Christ as you re-discover just who God is and why we are invited to revel in His awesome glory.
PRAY BIG Author Alistair Begg
(Learn to pray like an Apostle)
Do you struggle with prayer? So many of us do. It comes hard to most of us. In this brilliant short book, Alistair Begg combines warmth, clarity, humor and practicality as he examines Paul’s prayer for the EPHESIAN Church, to show ordinary Christians how to pray as an apostle – why to pray and what to say.
Paul clearly enjoyed prayer and found it exciting to pray – and you can too, as you learn to pray big.
Truly the best book I have read on prayer. Get yourself a copy and learn to pray like an apostle.
ENJOYING GOD Author Tim Chester
What is the key to enjoying God? Christians talk a lot about having a relationship with God – but what exactly does it mean to have a relationship with some we cannot see? In this book you will discover not only what it means to have a relationship with the living God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – but also how it can be infused with genuine JOY.
Timothy Keller said:
“I urge you to read this book. It will make you hunger and thirst for fellowship with God.”
D.A. Carson wrote:
“if you desire to experience more of the truth that in God’s presence there are pleasured forever more, you will be hard-pressed to find a better guide.”
MERE MORALITY (What God expects from ordinary people) Author Lewis Smedes
Voted “the evangelical book of the year”. This is a remarkable book by Smedes who gives us a magnificent, Biblical and practical guide to the last 5 commandments. His engaging style brings ETHICS out of the clouds to come to terms with the moral hurts of everyday living. He closes with these words:
“What God expects of ordinary people is obedience born of gratitude: what God gives ordinary people is forgiveness born of grace. Once forgiven we hear His commands, not as a burden, but as an invitation to enjoy our humanity, and in our joy to glorify our Creator.”
This is a must-read for every Christian today … it deserves to be “the evangelical book of the year”!
THE CHARISMATICS AND THE WORD OF GOD Author Victor Budgen
In this enlarged edition the author examines this subject in detail, giving the reader an even clearer understanding of the issues involved in today’s charismatic movement.
‘Evangelical Press has produced a classic. Whether you are deeply interested in the charismatic movement, intrigued by it, or opposed to it, this book is a must. It gives a biblical and historical perspective on the movement. It is the most carefully researched, solidly-based account that has been produced. The biblical exegesis is superb.’
Dealing with issues like:
- Apostles today
- Prophecy
- Speaking in tongues
- When did the gifts cease?
Makes for riveting reading, and certainly for Africa today. This is a must read.
DID YOU THINK TO PRAY? Author R.T. Kendall
Prayer is one of the most fundamental practices of the Christian faith, yet how many of us really commit adequate time to talking to God? As R.T. points out in Time for Prayer, God likes our company. We can only benefit from spending more time with Him.
Bickie wrote of this book:
“R.T. Kendall has done it again. He has combined theological clarity with spiritual depth to give us practical insight on how to pray and grow in our relationship with Jesus.”
Here is a very helpful and encouraging book to read on how to spend more time in prayer – it was a huge challenge to me. How we need to spend time in prayer!!
JESUS – AND HIS FRIENDS Author D.A. CARSON
“Skillfully addressing the ordinary reader, Donald Carson takes us through the farewell words and then prayers of Jesus with His disciples, just before going to the Cross. It is a masterly exposition of (John 14-17), a passage which touches on many of the great themes of the Christian faith. What holds Jesus’ words and prayers together, as Jesus walked towards Gethsemane, is the theology of His death. The Cross now awaits Jesus.”
If you want to read a book on these moving chapters 14 – 17 of John, and learn from Jesus’ farewell words and prayers, the book is for you. You will be greatly blessed, challenged and enriched.
GOING THE DISTANCE Author Peter Brain
David Jackman wrote:
HOW TO STAY FIT FOR A LIFETIME OF MINISTRY
“Christian ministry is not a sprint: it’s a marathon, a long-term race. Unfortunately, a growing number of Christian ministers don’t seem to possess that staying power.44% of all pastors who have been involved in ministry for more than 15 years suffer from ‘burn out’, mental breakdown or serious illness. And that doesn’t include those who fail to continue in active ministry for other reasons, such as immorality or loss of faith.
Doing the Distance is about making sure you’re not one of those statistics. Drawing on decades of biblical reflection and experience, Peter Brain explains how to keep fit mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually for the long-haul.
This book for anyone engaged in Christian ministry, whether lay or ordained, and would be an ideal book for pastors to read with their lay leaders.
This book of unusual insight and pertinent, practical wisdom for both the minister and the congregation, to enable them to live together in mutual respect and love, so as to model in their relationships the liberating grace of God, to whom they all belong.
Every church leader and every church member would benefit from reading this book.”
Wow, what a book, an absolute must read for every church leader, making sure you never “burn out”. The perfect book to keep us stay fit for a life-time of ministry.
LEADERS WHO LAST Author D. Kraft
This is one of the finest books on leadership I have ever read. Drawing from over 30 years of pastoral experience, Kraft has written this very practical, easy to read and thoroughly Biblical book.
It is a must read for any leader who want to finish strongly and lead with passion. A leader he says is a person with a magnet in his heart and a compass in his head.
If you are a leader, go and get yourself a copy and a copy for your pastor – and become a leader who will last!!!
HOT-TUB RELIGION Author James Packer
“Think of Theologians as the church’s sewage specialist. The role is to detect and eliminate intellectual pollution, and to ensure, so far as man can, that God’s life-giving truth flows pure and unpoisoned into Christian hearts.”
This is exactly what J.I. Packer, one of our top theologians today, seeks to do in this book. He clarifies some of the basic tenets of the Christian faith, putting them in the context of today’s world. Be prepared to be inform joyed, enlightened, and challenged as you read about such topics as the plan of God, man’s relationship with God, the theology of pleasure (or “hot-tub religion”), guidance, joy, sanctification, physical healing, disappointment, depression, and the conflict and division in the church. This is a book for today, full of clear, concise, thought-provoking material on contemporary and sometimes controversial issues.”
Wow … what a relevant book for today. You ought to go and get a copy ASAP … it is brilliant.
BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY IN MODERN AFRICA Author W. O’Donovan
For anyone working across AFRICA, this book is an absolute must to read. The reader will be struck by the author’s unflinching commitment to the Bible as he tackles the critical issues facing Africa today.
For example:
- Urbanization
- Sex and marriage
- Money
- Poverty
- Politics
- Place of women in the Church
Dr. Peter Cotterel, former principal of London Bible College wrote this:
“Here is a book that fills a huge gap in the Christian’s bookshop. It is unusual in that its pages range across theology, culture, contextualization, sociology, ethics and even politics. But O’Donovan does all this while continually looking off to the Bible to ensure that the promise of the title is kept. This is a determined approach to a biblical Christianity for Africa. The book is a dialogue between Africa and the Bible. The author is bold enough to tackle the real issues facing Africa today such as HIV-AIDS, prostitution, corruption, bribery, urbanization, unemployment, poverty, women in the church, prosperity theology, fraudulent charisma and other issues. The book could only have been put together by someone with a wide and lengthy experience of the continent”.
Dr Peter Cotterel, Former Principle of London Bible College: Director, the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Get to your bookshop and buy a copy for yourself … NOW …
IN UNDERSTANDING BE MEN Author T.C. Hammond
Way back in 1975 I was asked by Youth for Christ to speak at their Bible School on DOCTRINE.
I took as my text book, “In Understanding Be Men” and later when I opened KwaZulu-Natal Missionary and Bible College in 1986, this book became the text book for Doctrine 1 on our curriculum. It covers all the major doctrines we believe:
- Doctrine of God
- Doctrine of Jesus Christ
- Doctrine of the Holy Spirit
- Doctrine of Man and sin
- Doctrine of the Church
- Doctrine on the second coming of Christ
- Doctrine of Scripture
It is a magnificent book, designed to help those who want an over-all group of Christina teaching. Going now into its 40th re-printing, it is an absolute must for all Christians today. A classic for all time.
I have just finished reading it again, and it was wonderful to refresh my mind of all the major doctrines. Go and get yourself a copy and read it slowly …
THE CREATION ANSWERS BOOK Author D. Vatten, D. Catchople
Here is the book I am sure many of you are looking for. It answers the 20 most asked question regarding Creation.
Does God Exist?
Six Days? Really?
What about the Gap Theory?
What About Carbon Dating?
How can we see distant stars in a young universe?
How did bad things come about?
What about arguments for evolution?
Who was Cain’s wife?
Were the ‘sons of God’ and/or the nephilim extra-terrestrials?
Was the Flood global?
What about continental drift?
Noah’s Flood what about all that water?
How did the animals fit on Noah’s Ark?
How did fresh and saltwater fish survive the flood?
Where are all the human fossils?
What about the Ice Age?
How did animals get to Australia?
How did all the different ‘races’ arise?
What about dinosaurs?
What can I do?
A Must-read book for today written by godly men, top scientists and conservative evangelicals. I found it so very helpful especially for my lectures on Genesis, it certainly answers many questions for today.
THE UNBELIEVABLE GOSPEL Author Johathan Dodson
(Say Something Worth Believing)
In a digital, secular age, rehearsed gospel presentations seem quaint and antiquated. Charges of intolerance, politicking, and bigotry lay at the doorstep of the church. Christian belief is out; alternative beliefs are in. How do we communicate a more discerning, believable gospel?
The Unbelievable Gospel shows us how to communicate and embody a gospel that is believable, personal, and culturally engaging. Through thoughtful reflection and honest stories, pastor Jonathan Dodson pinpoints reasons why people don’t share their faith and offers desperately needed solution to sharing Christ through rich gospel metaphors.
Robert Coleman said this:
“Jonathan Dodson gives thoughtful counsel on how to communicate the Gospel to our secular culture today. He is right on target. This is evangelism for the 21st century.”
In a day when Christians do not evangelize, this is a MUST read. How we need to rediscover the passion for evangelism and for leading souls to Christ. Get yourself a copy and give one to your pastor … and start witnessing to the lost.
FOLLOWING CHRIST Author R.C. Sproul
“Being a faithful Christian in contemporary society is no easy task. At every turn we are confronted with difficult ethical and spiritual dilemmas. How are we to live in a manner “worthy of the gospel of Christ” in the midst of the modern chaos and confusion?
In Following Christ, renowned theologian R.C. Sproul examines the questions that are crucial to Christian living in the modern world:
Who is Jesus?
- Does prayer change Things?
- How can I know God’s Will?
- How should I live in this world?
Here is theology that moves and breathes in the world in which we live. Dr. Sproul challenges us to a biblical and practical understanding of what it means to be mature followers of Jesus Christ.”
Here is an old classic for you – sheer pleasure and joy to read and a book which helps us to Follow Christ.
CHRISTIANS IN THE AGE OF OUTRAGE Author E. Stetzer
In his preface, the author explains why he wrote this book.
“Why This Outrageous Book?
This is a book about outrage. It’s an acknowledgement that our world, or at least our part of it, seems awash in anger, division, and hostility. Outrage is all around, so we have to decide how to walk through this. We are living in a day – and this is indeed our moment – when we need to live like Christ, as gospel Christians in the midst of shouting, anger, and hatred. And its going to get worse.
To be sure, there is a lot in this world that is outrage inducing. Terrorism, sex trafficking and exploitation, systematic racism, illegal immigration, child poverty, opioid addition … and the list goes on. These issues deserve a measure of outrage, don’t they? They certainly deserve our anger.
And this is part of the problem. What do we do when the anger becomes too much? When our righteous indignation at injustice morphs into something completely different? How do we know when righteous anger has made the turn into unbridled outrage? These questions do not have easy answers, but they deserve our consideration if we want to be faithful disciples of Christ.”
We are living in an angry world right now, and we need a grace-filled and gospel-driven response. With thorough research, compelling anecdotes and charity of both vision and communication, Stetzer has shown us how to live a Gospel-shaped life with a mission’s vision.
THE SECRET OF CONTENTMENT Author W. Barcley
The temptation to be discontent is everywhere. Advertisements bombard us, feeding our dissatisfaction by telling us we are incomplete and unfulfilled. And yet the seeds of discontentment are already present in our sinful hearts.
Almost four hundred years ago Jeremiah Burroughs wrote of the “rare jewel” of Christian contentment. If it was a rarity in the days of the Puritans, how much more is this true today!
William Barclay addresses the heart of the matter – discontentment that lies within. Based in the writings of Jeremiah Burroughs and Thomas Watson, he presents afresh these great Puritans’ meditations on contentment for a modern audience. Above all, he seeks the wisdom of Paul, who declared that he had found the “mystery” or the “secret” of being content.
Contentment must be learned, and Barclay reveals the secret, calling us to a contentment that comes from knowing God and delighting in His sovereign goodness and fatherly care.
This is what J.I. Packer wrote concerning this book:
“Planted in Philippians and watered with Puritan wisdom, this handbook on cultivating contentment unlocks one of the secrets of spiritual health and happiness. A rewarding study.”
A brilliant book on how to become CONTENT.
WHAT JESUS DEMANDS Author John Piper
This is what 3 top scholars wrote about this book:
“This is now my favourite book by John Piper. In the best tradition of Adolf Schlatter’s Do We Know Jesus? and his ‘hermeneutic of perception., ‘What Jesus Demands from the World has changed my life and will certainly change yours because it is based on the pure words of Jesus as revealed in the four Gospels. A must-read for every true follower of Christ.”
ANDREAS J. KOSTENBERGER, Editor, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society; Professor of New Testament and Director of PhD Studies, Southeaster Baptist Theological Seminary.
“A special gift from the pen of John Piper. How long has it been since you carefully reflected upon the authoritative commands of Christ? Through these pages you will encounter the Saviour and experience the transforming effects of the gospel. Few endeavors are more worthy of your time.”
C.J. MAHANEY, Sovereign Grace Ministries.
“Scholars, popularists, and now even novelists are falling over each other today in a blind passion to discover an alternative Jesus to the One so magnificently portrayed in the biblical Gospels. In stark and refreshing contract John Piper clear-sightedly graps the obvious – the biblical Jesus is worth living for and dying for.”
SINCLAIR FERGUSON, Senior Minister, The First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina.
Wow … what a challenge this book is to our compromising materialistic, luke-warm Christianity!!! Truly a must read.
STRUGGLES Author Craig Groeschel
HOW TO KEEP YOUR EYES FIXED ON CHRIST – instead of glued to a screen.
We all love the benefits of technology and social media, but even with the incredible upsides, many of us suspect there are unintended negative consequences of using them.
In this timely and life-changing book, Craig Groeschel, bestselling author and pastor of LifeChurch.tv. shows all whose digital dependency is becoming unmanageable how to regain control over their lives. He walks you through the biblical values that are essential for a life of peace and true fulfillment but are now even more important in our maxed-out social-status-seeking world.
Groeschel also taps into some of the most up-to-date studies confirming the effects of social media on our emotions and our friendships. And he offers real-life examples of how we’ve come to rely on social media, how it masks our real struggles, and how we can reclaim a Christ-centered life.
Refresh and rediscover your understanding of the qualities that life with Christ brings, contentment, intimacy, authenticity, compassion, and rest. Ultimately, you will find Struggles to be just the guide to bring a balance of spiritual depth and rich human engagement back to your everyday life.
This is one of the most important books for every Christian to read. It is very thought provoking, based on Biblical principles and will help you to keep your eyes fixed on Christ not glued to a screen!!! A brilliant book and of great relevance for our times.
SHAPED BY THE GOSPEL Author Timothy Keller
“Today many Christian leaders are struggling to adapt to an increasingly post-Christian culture without compromising orthodox theology. How do we communicate the concepts of sin, grace, and atonement in our culture and context?
In his award-winning book Centre Church, best selling author and pastor Timothy Keller outlined a theological vision for ministry that is organized around three core commitments: Gospel, City, and Movement. In Shaped by the Gospel Timothy Keller distills the essential truths and patterns of the gospel. What emerges is a vision for gospel-centered ministry that is defined neither by religion nor irreligion but by something else entirely – a way of relating to God through grace. Keller discusses the nature of the gospel and reveals how faithful preaching and ministry of the gospel lead to individual and communal renewal. This discussion will be illuminating for pastors, church staff, and lay leaders as they consider new and revitalized ways to communicate the historic gospel for our time.
The edition contains content from the first section of Center Church in an easy-to-read format, with reflections from two contributors – Michael Horton and Dane Ortlund – who expand on the relationship of law and gospel and the need to reclaim the doctrine of union with Christ, as well as thoughtful responses from Timothy Keller.”
Timothy Keller at his best – describing how to do balanced, Gospel centered ministry today. An absolute MUST for any pastor. Why not read the book and buy a copy for your pastor.
31 DAYS ON THE LIFE OF CHRIST Author Oswald Saunders
Classic writer J. Oswald Saunders leads us on a 31-day journey into the glorious colours that emanate from the prism of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
How can one describe Jesus Christ? He is beyond words; beyond comprehension, beyond compare. Yet in 31 Days on the Life of Christ, J. Oswald Sanders does a remarkable job o leading us to see Christ as, among other things; excellent, faultless, perfect, humble, strong, without flaw and without contradiction.
In these pages, beloved author and preacher Saunders guides readers to new discoveries on dynamic aspects of Christ’s work including:
- The Incarnation of Christ
- The Serenity of Christ
- The High Priestly Ministry of Christ
- The Majestic Silence of Christ
Don’t miss this opportunity to own and examine for yourself a month’s work of snapshots – word pictures, actually – of Christ. You’re sure to find them both enlightening and life-changing. Best of all, you’ll come away knowing Jesus Christ better than ever before.
A lovely book to start a closer walk with Jesus. It will keep you focused on Jesus above all else. Why not go on a 31-day walk with Jesus with this book as your guide? I loved it.
FROM THE LIBRARY OF C.S. LEWIS Author J.S. Bell
C.S. Lewis, one of the great Christian writers of the 20th century, and whose books are still read by millions today, LOVED BOOKS. To truly know Lewis, one must become familiar with the body of literature that marked his life. But who did influence C.S. Lewis? What were the sources of his inspiration? Who were his spiritual mentors?
Drawn from Lewis’ library, annotations and references from his writings, this book includes more than two hundred selections from literary giants such as Dante, Augustine, and Chaucer, as well as more contemporary writers such as G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, George MacDonald, and J.R.R. Tolkien, providing a vast array of inspiration from those who have shone forth as messengers of light in Lewis’ own thinking, writing, and spiritual growth.
In this treasury, you will …
- Glean wisdom on living a devout life from Andrew Murray and Brother Lawrence
- Tap into fantasy and imagination with William Wordsworth and Geoffrey Chaucer
- Ponder creation and poetry alongside Sir Walter Scott and Aristotle
- And much more!
Wow … I loved reading this book, it certainly helped me see where Lewis came from, and what were the books he read and which moulded his life.
RUNNING SCARED Author E. Welch
LEARNING TO OVERCOME YOUR FEAR FACTORS
Edward T. Welch reveals God’s plan for encouraging those in the grips of fear.
One of the haunting dilemmas of the human condition is that fear is “an inescapable feature of earthly life”. Every person who has lived on this earth has encounted fear. Tragically, for this reason our race for the good life finds us all too often “running scared.”
In his new release, Running Scared, Edward. T Welch investigates the roots of fear in the human soul and the ramifications of living in the grips of anxiety, worry, and dread. Welch encourages readers to discover for themselves that the Bible is full of beautiful words of comfort for fearful people (and that every single person is afraid of something). Within the framework of thirty topical meditations, Welch offers sound biblical theology and moment-by-moment, thoughtful encouragement for life-saving rescue in the midst of the heart and mind battlefield of rampant panic-stricken responses.
This comprehensive primer on the topic of fear, worry, and the rest of God will have readers retreating to Scripture for invariable constancy, stalwart care, and robust comfort, instead of as Welch terms it, “hitting the default switch” by responding with characteristic human independence, control, and self-protectiveness. Running Scared affirms that, through Scripture, God speaks directly to our fears:
- On money and possessions
- On people and their judgements
- On death, pain and punishments
Fear can make cowards of us all. It can also cripple the mighty, stripping us of confidence and strength to ever face the challenges of ordinary life – a terrible way to live. In his characteristic voice which is both authoritative and sensitive, Welch inspires us to turn to God as our champion in our battle with fear.
Fantastic book on how to overcome your fears … a book you should read!!!
PASTORS UNDER PRESSURE Author James Taylor
This book is a practical, Christ-centred guide for the modern pastor. It addresses many problems such as discouragement, criticism, loneliness, dryness, failure and temptation. Although none of these is new, they seem to be more prevalent than at any previous time, and must, the author argues, be faced and dealt with.
Working through many practical implications, the author regularly takes us to the priceless example of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the central role of the cross. He reminds us that a pastor’s usefulness is directly related to his willingness to follow in the Lord’s footsteps.
With over forty years’ of experience in the pastoral ministry, James Taylor stresses the urgent need for pastors to identify and understand their roles fully. Today a ‘performance’ culture too often means that while congregations grow, church members congratulate themselves in ‘choosing’ the right man. But when the number of worshippers fall, or difficulties arise, the same congregation may fall back on contemporary rather than Biblical standards.
While being a pastor is the greatest privilege on earth, it is not easy. There is a huge drop-out rate and this makes this book so important for today. Read it and buy one for your pastor.
THE NEW TESTAMENT ESCHATOLOGY IN AN AFRICAN BACKDROP Author J. Mbiti
This valuable study of the encounter between the New Testament and African traditional concepts now appears in paperback for the first time. Professor Mbiti approaches the subject as an African theologian ideally placed to explore the confrontation of Christian theology with African studies. He discusses Time and History, the materialistic language of eschatology, the eschatology of the sacraments, the spirit world, and the resurrection as corporate eschatology. These concepts are related to the life and beliefs of Professor Mbiti’s own people, the Akamba of Kenya, and he also draws on material from other parts of Africa.
Dr. Mbiti writes in his introduction:
“The Gospel is a revolution in which Jesus Christ is at the centre as the Lord of Faith. It contains powerful demands and challenges, as well as promises and fulfilment. This study investigates the process of proclaiming the Gospel and establishing the Church in an African tribal setting. It is an attempt to look at the encounter between Christianity and African traditional concepts, paying attention especially to the practical and theological consequences of that encounter.”
A valuable book for those wanting to bring the Gospel to Africa.
AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME, SO I AM SENDING YOU
(J.E. Lesslie Newbigin’s Missionary Ecclesiology)
Author Dr. Michael Goheen
This book is not for the faint hearted, it is meaty and deep. It makes up the dissertation which Dr. Goheen presented for his doctorate and it is a study of Leslie Newbiggin’s ecclesiology.
This work is made up of three parts:
- The historical development of Newbigin’s missionary ecclesiology.
- The systematic treatment of his missionary ecclesiology.
- A concluding analysis.
Perhaps the most challenging thought in this book was:
“When a Church is separated from missions, the church is reduced to a repository for converts and missions is reduced to the management of large institutions which paralyses the missionary calling of believers.”
THINE IS THE KINGDOM Author Dr J.S. Stewart
This book gives the answer to the question, “What is the message of the Church in our time? The belief in some quarters that religion is an opiate of the people, that it is a haven of spiritual security for the pious is rudely shattered. Dr Stewart points out that the first missionary command in the Bible that was to Abraham: “Get thee out.” Religion, he shows, has no place for lethargy or complacency, but calls for the active, energetic and forceful endeavour. True religion stresses the outward look rather than the inward. Men and women who pray, “Thine is the Kingdom” must realize the burning reality of the words and take steps toward fulfilment.
I found this fantastic book while scratching around in a charity shop. It is brilliant as it describes the Church’s mission in our time. An old classic on Missions … I could not put it down.
If you ever find a copy, sell your bed to get it!!
KNOWING GOD Author J.I. Packer
In his introduction to this book, Packer wrote:
“If we try to live in this world without knowing about the God whose world it is and who runs it. The world becomes a strange, mad, painful place, and life in it a disappointing and unpleasant business, for those who do not know God. Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfold, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul.”
I was given this book on my 21st birthday and have just re-read for the 10th time. It is magnificent, one of the greatest books ever written. Packer further says:
- WHAT WERE WE MADE FOR? – To know God.
- WHAT AIM SHOULD WE SET FOR OURSELVES IN LIFE? – To know God.
- WHAT IS THE ETERNAL LIFE THAT JESUS GIVES? – Knowledge of God.
- WHAT IS THE BEST THING IN LIFE? – Knowledge of God.
- WHAT IN A MAN GIVES GOD MOST PLEASURE? – Knowledge of Himself.
If this is so – and J.I. Packer says it is – then Knowing God could become, next to Scripture, the most significant book you will read.”
My friends, don’t stumble and blunder through life blindfolded, don’t waste your life, go, and get this book and read it slowly. It will help you to know God.
TRUE SPIRITUALITY Author Francis Schaeffer
Schaffer says this in the Preface:
“This book is being published after a number of others, but in a certain sense, it should have been my FIRST. Without the material in this book, there would be no L’Abri.”
On man’s side, man is redeemed as a unity who now stands before the personal God. It is not just one part of man.
The will, the mind, the emotions – all are involved: the complete man, as a unit, involved in this moment by moment, one moment at a time, believing God’s promises about the significance of the work of Christ in our present lives. Eve doubted God, that was her sin. She called God a liar. Eve doubted God, and I as a child of God am now to do exactly the opposite. I am to believe him. Eve doubted, and mankind in revolt doubts God. To believe him, not just when I accept Christ as Saviour, but every moment, one moment at a time: this is the Christian life, and this is true spirituality.
After having been to L’Abri in Switzerland and having read many of Schaffer’s books, this is his FINEST, a Gospel-centered book explaining what TRUE SPIRITUALITY is. I found reading it a second time so much more challenging.
THE HOLE IN OUR HOLINESS Author Kevin De Young
John Piper says of this book “this is vintage De Young … ruthlessly Biblical”
This book is indispensable reading for anyone who desires to live a life of HOLINESS. Though we are fallen people, De Young points us to our potential for godliness and how our progress in this area is of the utmost importance. This is a book for those of us who are ready to take HOLINESS seriously, ready to become more like Jesus, ready to live in the light of His grace that produces godliness.
In a day when we seldom, if ever, hear sermons on holiness, this is a great book to help us grow in personal holiness and to enjoy the process of transformation.
FOLLOW Author Floyd McClung
There are two kinds of people in the world; those who have stories to tell, and those who don’t. Those who, like Peter, follow Jesus on the water are the ones who will tell others their stories. Floyd McClung leads us through the liberating process of changing the focus of our lives from ourselves to Jesus so we can do life the way Jesus did in the New Testament – and the way He is doing it now in and through His followers. This Jesus is not safe, sterile, or sanctimonious. He is an untamed, passionate, compassionate Jesus who makes the pages of the New Testament live again.
Alan Hirsch writes:
“Floyd is right again… he shows us in Follow what it means to be an untamed disciple of the wild Jesus.”
GRAB A TOWELL Author Dr Tucker
WHAT KIND OF LEADERS DOES GOD WANT US TO BE?
In GRAB A TOWELL, Message South Africa CEO Tim Tucker issues a clarion call to every leader who wants to make a mark for God.
It is counter-cultural. It is often costly. It is the way of Christ.
In this biblical yet highly practical book, Tim Tucker shows how Christ-centered servant leadership has helped The Message become one of the fastest growing mission movements of the twenty-first century. Forged in the crucible of front-line mission to gang members and prisoners, GRAB A TOWELL shows not only that it can work, but that it does.
Whatever our leadership context, in Jesus we have the perfect model to emulate. It’s time to GRABE A TOWEL – and join him.
What a clear call to move away from the modern unbiblical views of a leader, into a Christ-like, servant minded leadership. A brilliant read.
THE HEALING EPIDEMIC Author Dr. Peters Masters
“Spiritual healing – carried out by gifted people – is being promoted in Christian circles as never before. We can no longer be interested in divine healing simply out of personal curiosity. The fact is that healing has become the chief attraction and propaganda tool of a new, crusading Pentecostalism which wants to permeate and engulf traditional Bible Christianity”.
In this book the author surveys the new healing scene, examining what leading healers say to justify their methods, and showing where their teaching contradicts the Bible.
On the positive side the book presents in helpful detail the correct way to pray for healing set out in James 5. There is also a survey of Bible passages which prove that the personal gift of healing ended with the apostles.
Prof. Verna Wright MD FRCP, a medical professor at Leeds University Medical School and a leading Rheumatologist provides a medical assessment of modern miracle healers.
One of the most relevant books for today, it was brilliant. It is written by Dr. Peter Masters, the pastor of the famous Spurgeon Metropolitan Tabernacle for more than 40 years. Being a missionary to Africa, I see this everywhere, but after reading this book I am better equipped with the answers. This book moves us from a self-centered Gospel back to the Gospel and a God-centered message.
FIVE SMOOTH STONES FOR PASTORAL WORK Author Eugene H. Peterson
Where do pastors today look for help and direction in their pastoral work? How can they improve their pastoral effectiveness? Whereas most of the current literature on pastoral work stresses up-to-date training and new techniques, Peterson calls us back to the Bible as the basis for all pastoral ministry.
This is the first of three books on pastoral work, the other two being:
- Working the angles
- Under the unpredictable plant
The three books are a wonderful corrective to many of the superficial managerial and essentially secular styles of ministry which one finds today in abundance.
How about buying the set for your pastor?
THE GOSPEL IN A PLURACIST SOCIETY Author Lesslie Newbigin
How does the gospel relate to a pluralist society? What is the Christian message in a society marked by religious pluralism, ethnic diversity, and cultural relativism? Should Christians encountering today’s pluralistic society concentrate on evangelism or on dialogue? How does the prevailing climate of opinion affect, perhaps infect, Christians’ faith?
These kinds of question are addressed in this book and ecumenical figure, Newbigin provided a brilliant analysis of contemporary (secular, humanist, pluralist) culture and suggests how Christians can more confidently affirm their faith in such a context.
While drawing from scholars such as Michael Polanyi, Alistair MacIntyre, Hendrikus Berkhof, Walter Wink, and Robert Wuthnow, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society is suited not only to an academic readership. This heartfelt work by a missionary Pastor and preacher also offer to Christian leaders and laypeople many thoughtful, helpful, provocative reflections.
LESSIE NEWBIGIN served for nearly forty years as a missionary in India and therefore has both the experience and the theological knowledge to write on this very relevant topic.
POST-CHRISTIANITY IN AFRICA Author Prof. G. C. Oosthuizen
IN AFRICA TODAY there are about 6,000 religious’ movements, which have grown initially out of the Church – leaving its fold mainly because it is a “foreign”, non-African institution, and incorporating into their doctrine non-Christian elements. In South Africa alone, there are some 3,000 of these movements – they are to be found also in the independent states of East, West, North and Central Africa.
Independentism in its many forms – Churches, Christian sects and Nativistic movements – is in most cases a reaction again the “White man’s Church” and the mission, with the paternalistic attitude they have found difficult to shake off over the years, and their deep suspicion of indigenous religious expression. It is also a retreat to the safety of traditional religion and culture in face of the socially disruptive forces of modern industrial civilization.
Professor Oosthuizen carries his examination of the independent movements an important stage further than the other major studies of this subject. Besides providing extensive detail regarding the beliefs and practices of the movements, he subjects these beliefs and practices to searching theological analysis. Among the subjects examined are the relation between the Holy Spirit according to Scripture and the ancestor spirit; baptism and purification rites; how the Old Testament is interpreted in the movements; sin – whether it is guilt before God or before the ancestor-dominated community; the spiritual content of ritual and the use of holy water’ healing, etc.
A very interesting and thought-provoking book.
THE PRESSURE’S OFF Author Dr Larry Crabb
You Can Stop Trying to Get It Right – and Learn to Live in Freedom.
There are two basic approaches to life – two pathways. One pressure, the other provides freedom. In the Old Way of life, as best-selling author, psychologist, and spiritual director Larry Crabb describes it, “you have decided that what you most want out of life is within your reach, and you are doing whatever you believe it takes to get it.” But in the New Way of life, “you have realized that what you most want is beyond your reach, and you are trusting God for the satisfaction you seek. Nothing less, not even His blessings, will do.” The Old Way – the way most Christians define life and pursue fulfillment – is fundamentally wrong and harmful. It leaves us tired, in bondage, and feeling distant from God. But the New Way brings true freedom and refreshment as we tap into the power to draw closer to God in a personal way.
Let Larry Crabb open your eyes, your mind, and your heart to the New Way to live. And begin to experience true freedom in Jesus Christ.
~~~~~
What an incredible book for Christians today, who often are tired, discouraged, in bondage and feeling far from God. Here is a book to help you start again, but on the New Way of freedom… not according to the old way of life.
WHEN HELPING HURTS Author S. Corbett and B. Fikkert
Unleashing and equipping people to effectively help the poor requires repentance and the realization of our own brokenness. When Helping Hurts articulates a biblically based framework concerning the root causes of poverty and its alleviation.
A path forward is found, not through providing resources to the poor, but instead by walking with them in humble relationships.
Whether you’re involved in short-term missions or the long-term empowerment of the poor, this book helps teach you three key areas.
- FOUNDATIONAL CONCEPTS (Who are the poor?)
- PRINCIPLES (Should we do relief, rehabilitation, or development?)
- STRATEGIES (How can we help people effectively here and abroad?)
An additional two chapters and conclusion will help you apply the teaching to your situation and take the next step more quickly. It’s your best way to a true understanding of poverty and a plan to make a difference.
“I have never read a better book on practically serving the poor, and I pray that God will use this new edition to equip His people to accomplish His purposes in a world of urgent spiritual and physical need for the glory of His great name. – David Platt, pastor and author of Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream.
This is an incredible book which certainly every South African should read and discover how to help the poor till it hurts. I was greatly moved, rebuked and challenged by reading this book.
DARKNESS OF THE SUN Author R.T. Baker
Certain questions prompted the author of this volume to go to Japan soon after the American Occupation began. He wanted to know: What happened to Christianity in wartime Japan? Did the Japanese empire builders use the Christians in the propagation of their nationalistic ideology in the Orient? Was there freedom of religion in Japan? Were the churches being coerced and persecuted by the fanatical state? Was it true that Kagawa said the things he was reported to have said?
Answers to these questions are important, because this was the first experience of a younger church completely on its own, cut off from fellowship, tutelage, and support by the older Christian communities of the West. All that happened in the clash of Christianity with the statist cult in wartime Japan was the test case of a church which was on its own in a hostile culture. This experience may be repeated in years to come as nationalism and statism tighten their grip on the world’s thinking. Every student of politics and church history should read this book and know the story of the war years inside Japan.
For those who love mission’s history, this will be a great read of mission work in Japan during the 2nd world war.
WHERE AM I Author Billy Graham
THE FINAL CHAPTER FROM BILLY GRAHAM
While his was earthly vision dims, the glory of heaven is illuminated as Billy Graham, the beloved Evangelist, shares from his past, and present, the reality of eternity.
Although Billy Graham may no longer preach from the stadiums of the world, in this book you will sense his heart still beats strong with the resounding assurance that he will spend eternity with Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. In Where I Am, Mr. Graham invites and strongly encourages all of us to contemplate our eternal hope.
When asked, “Where is Heaven?” Mr. Graham has wisely replied, “Heaven is where Jesus Christ is, and I am going to Him soon.”
What a magnificent last book from Billy Graham, written just before he went home to glory. Surely a must read as we get ready for Heaven.
DATELINE JERUSALEM Author Chris Mitchell
When an Iranian president thunders a murderous threat or an obscure Turkish drunkard has a dream in Mecca or a Jewish couple from Brooklyn lands at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, these events might seem disconnected. But they’re not. In Dateline Jerusalem, CBN News correspondent Chris Mitchell connects the dots and unveils Jerusalem as the epicenter and crossroads of the spiritual, political, and, yes, supernatural worlds.
For thousands of years, Jerusalem’s powerful draw has transcended simple economics, military strategy, and religious affiliation.
In our own time, as the Arab Spring threatens to become an Islamic Winter, one commentator warns: “The Arab Spring doesn’t lead to democracy, it leads to Jerusalem.” Indeed, the fragile peace of Israel is in new peril as violent Islamic factions vie for control of surrounding nations. Yet Muslims are converting to Christianity in record numbers. Dateline Jerusalem untangles and chronicles all this through the riveting narrative of a Christian report in the upheaval of the modern Fertile Crescent.
We live in a world where we cannot afford to be ill informed. What happens in the strategic Middle East, Israel, and Jerusalem is critical. It matters to you. Today’s news might focus on Washington, New York, London, or Moscow, but history’s final chapter will be written in Jerusalem
AFRICA – IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE GREAT EXPLORERS Author Kingsley Holgate
Fans of the History Channel and all those who enjoy a ripping good yarn will relish another series of epic adventures by the Holgate family. Kingsley, his wife, Gill and their son, Ross, honour the early explorers who faced starvation, fever and even death to open up Africa to the Western world.
“Armed with the fortitude, fearlessness and the tenacity of David Livingstone, HM Stanley, Frederick Courtney Selopus, John Hanning Speke and others, the Holgate party tackles Africa’s mighty rivers and circumnavigates the great lakes. On foot, by Land Rover and in small inflatable boats, they encounter aggressive AK-47 wielding Congolese youths, seven-foot Warimi tribesmen and fierce Turkana warriors decorated with sharp-honed blades on fingers and wrists.”
For the past 40 years, I have travelled across Africa in the footsteps of David Livingstone. This book tells the stories of the Holgate family who went over the journeys of Livingstone, Stanley and Selous. It brought back so many fantastic memories for me of the places I have been to, from Bagamoyo to Chitambo’s village – a truly outstanding book!
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE GOSPEL Author R.T. Kendall
“You know the “prosperity gospel”. The “name it and claim it gospel.” The “political gospel.” The messages being preached on at least 90% of religious television. But what about the Gospel? What was it the apostle Paul was “unashamed” of?
Most Christians don’t understand what the true Gospel of Jesus is. In our church sanctuaries pastors neglect to preach the fear of God and eternal punishment. Church communities have grown to believe that all are saved and none will be lost. Meanwhile many other Christians lack assurance of their own salvation and focus on sanctification as their only ticket to Heaven.
They ignore what was historically introduced by Jesus, filled out by the apostle Paul, and articulated by the sixteenth-century Reformers. The Gospel has been brushed to one side, and evidence of this is seen in how churches are misleading and even mistreating people.
IT’S TIME TO BRING BACK WHAT IT REALLY MEANS “TO BE SAVED.”
One Of the most relevant books for the Church today.
Read it and give a copy to your Pastor.
TRAPPED IN APARTHEID – Edited by Charles Villa-Vicencio
The intention of publishing these nine essays is to enable all Christians of whatever Church, in South Africa or abroad to look critically at themselves in the light of the judgement that apartheid is a heresy. The essays are written by Christians coming from a variety of denominations and cultural backgrounds, and focus on the historical, theological, moral, practical and biblical aspects of racism in the Church.
The distinguished contributors, who come from varying denominations and cultural backgrounds, are Allan Boesak Chris Loff, David Bosch, Desmond Tutu, Simon Maimela, Willem Vorster, Douglas Bax, and the Editors.
Published way back in 1988 it still brings a great challenge especially to the more conservative Churches today. During the struggle the majority of conservative Churches did nothing……. so this book certainly brings a challenge and calls for real heart searching. Old but still relevant.
REVIVAL FIRE Author Wesley Deuwel
Beginning with Elijah and God’s tremendous one-day revival of Israel, Wesley Deuwel tells the stories of revivals spanning the globe from America to China to Africa, all brought by obedience and heartfelt prayer. He illustrates how God used revival fire through the centuries to revive the church and reveal the glorious presence of the Holy Spirit.
What a book to encourage us to pray for revival in our days …
21st CENTURY CHURCH Author Rob Warner
Here we are in the 21st Century, in an atmosphere of growing paganism and cultural change, so two crucial questions need to be asked by every local church:
- In Biblical terms what is a church meant to be and do?
- In practical terms what changes must we bring about in order to bridge the gap to the modern world.
Rob Warner argues that if we have the courage to re-invent the church in radical new forms and make it culturally relevant, the 21st century church has a momentous opportunity to rescue a major advance of the Gospel, not just in our own city, but right around the world.
TASTE AND SEE Author John Piper
“Going to sleep with John Piper’s words on your mind will coax you from complacency and wake you up to a passionate faith.”
This is a marvelous book of 140 meditations, savouring the supremacy of God in all of life. Skillfully presented by John Piper, this devotional of contemporary meditations on biblical reality will wet your appetite for more of God Himself and refresh you in your daily communion with Christ. It is a real treasure of true doctrine applied to life.
CHRIST – THE FIRST 2000 YEARS Author M.E. Whittock
This amazing book is like a whirlwind tour of the history of Western civilization, showing how ideas of Christ have both influenced and reflected changing social attributes for the last 2000 years.
Ever since people first encountered Jesus Christ, his followers and detractors alike have striven to find language and imagery to describe who he was, his relationship to God, and his significance. In this wide-ranging study, Martyn and Esther Whittock explore the many and varied ways that people have conceived of Christ across two millennia and multiple cultures.
We witness the debates of the early church to establish the identity of Jesus. We see how the warrior Christ of the Vikings became the military Christ of the crusades, the shift in the Middle Ages to the suffering Christ, and later the atoning Christ of the Reformation. As Christianity spreads beyond Europe, we see the response of the non-western cultures, such as the Christ of South American liberation theology, and Christ the avatar of India.
Packed with examples drawn from the history of art, popular culture, theology, and politics, this book is revealing and enthralling.
I found it to be a book on Church History, philosophy and apologetics all packed into one – to present a fascinating account that will enlighten even the most well-informed reader.
UNDER THE INFLUENCE Author Alvin Schmidt
Under the Influence shows why our world would be a very different place if Jesus had never lived. Whatever beliefs you hold about him, there is no denying his impact. But how far and deep his influence actually extends may surprise you. Setting Christianity against its historical Greek and Roman backdrop and against pagan cultures worldwide, Under the Influence reveals the full, radical nature of the Christian faith as a shaping force that has knit the moral fabric and inspired the highest achievements of Western civilization, with untold benefits to the entire world.
Well-stocked with photographs, timelines, and charts, this fascinating, meticulously researched book discusses, among other topics:
- The impact of early Christians’ care for throwing away babies, the sick, the poor, and the elderly on the surrounding, inhumane Greco-Roman culture
- How Jesus and his followers gave unprecedented dignity, equality, and freedom to women
- Christianity’s founding of hospitals and health care in the fourth century, and the genesis of orphanages and charitable organizations
- The Christian inception and promotion of universities and higher education
- The contributions made by the early Christian pioneers of science.
An unbelievable book – go and buy a copy …
DAVID BRAINERD – HIS MESSAGE FOR TODAY Author Oswald Smith
“This young saint of God – David Brainerd, missionary to the American Indians lived a most marvelous life, punctuated by spending whole days in prayer. He was a young man wholly yielded to the will of God and God marvelously used him in his short lifetime of less than thirty years. After he was dead, William Carey read his life and went to India; Robert McCheyne read his diary and went to the Jews, Henry Martyn read his journal and went to India.
This material compiled from Brainerd’s personal diary will challenge and inspire everyone who reads it.”
Please … by whatever means get this book, read it and your life will never be the same again.
WOMEN OF FAITH AND COURAGE Author Vance Christie
God accomplishes significant things through imperfect people, and He deserves all the glory. Such a display of God’s glory is manifest through some of the best-loved heroines of the Christian faith. In “Women of faith and courage”, readers discover the remarkable stories of Susanna Wesley, Fanny Crosby, Catherine Booth, Mary Slessor and Corrie Ten Boom. Their lives spanned three centuries and their personal circumstances were very different from each other, yet steadfast faith and undaunted courage is the constant resounding theme for each life.
Helen Roseveare wrote:
“This whole book has fascinated and intrigued me, and I am so grateful to Vance for putting so much hard work into the research, bringing to light so much new material. He has written each life story in such a vibrant way, truly making each of the give women come alive.”
David says “your perspective of earthly embers changes when you remember that you have been saved from an eternal inferno.
” Platt continues to call the church to hasten the day of her Lord’s return by continuing to share the gospel with the lost and the unreached.
ENJOYING YOUR BEST YEARS Author Oswald Sanders
Staying Younger While Growing Older – During his ninety years of vigorous, observant living, J. Oswald Sanders learned as he grew older to grasp opportunities and blessings as his life unfolded. In Enjoying Your Best Years, Sanders speaks to older people as a trusted friend, sharing the secrets he gleaned from a rich and full life about how to make the later years a time of personal growth, deepening happiness and renewed spiritual vitality.
At this stage of my life, I found this book so helpful and an excellent read. If you are over 60 … it is a must read.
WHO STOLE MY CHURCH Author Gordon MacDonald
This book is a fictional story that reflects the all-too-real situation of many Church communities today, where loyal and long-standing members can feel pushed aside by the new demands of evangelism in the 21st century.
In this book, you will walk alongside an imaginary community, led by real-life pastor Gordon MacDonald and his wife Gail, and discover how to meet the needs of all believers without abandoning the dreams and desires of any. A challenging, innovative approach to a delicate subject. It is sure to benefit church leaders and members of all ages who dream of a “reinvented” church.
THE LITERARY LEGACY OF C.S. LEWIS Author Chad Walsh
C.S. Lewis has been read and studied as though he were two authors – a writer of Christian apologetics and a writer of fantasy. Only in recent years, has there been any move to examine his work as the creation of a single, unique mind. Lewis emerges as a legend and the creator of the most original books of the last century, whose books have continued to sell by their millions.
I found this book immensely helpful in seeing all of Lewis’s writings in context and it helped me to understand Lewis so much better.
COUNTERFEIT REVIVAL Author Hank Hanegraaff
Counterfeit Revival documents the danger of looking for God in all the wrong places. He evaluates the Toronto Blessing, the signs and wonders movement, end time restoration, slaying in the Spirit, speaking in tongues, the teachings of Rodney Howard-Browne, Bennie Hinn and others. This book draws you into the widely popular and bizarre world of contemporary revivalism as it documents the devastating impact on congregations worldwide.
Truly an eye-opening book and a must read for anyone who longs for genuine revival.
THIS I REMEMBER Author Oswald Sanders
Oswald Sanders looks back over a full life to his experiences as a Bible College Principal, convention speaker, head of a chain of bookshops and especially as General Director of the China Inland Missions (now the Oversees Missionary Fellowship). He shares his memories of many lands and many outstanding men and women. But above all, he bears witness to the help and direction of God who has proved Himself faithful again and again over the years.
Great Leaders of the Christian Church Author Elgin Meyer
This is a brilliant book on Church History, one of the very best I have read. It comprehends Church History from the time of Christ until the 1960”s, by focusing on 30 outstanding leaders. You will read of Paul, Justin Martyr, Luther, Calvin, George Fox, William Carey, David Livingstone, and many others.
Truly a book well worth selling for bed for.
AFRICA’S ENIGMA AND LEADERSHIP SOLUTIONS Author T. Adeyemo
This must be one of the finest books I have read on leadership, especially for Africa. Africa is a major source of some of the world’s most utilized minerals and precious metals. It is a hugely rich continent but its people are battered by endemic poverty, disease and suffering. The continent sags under colossal debt, the main reason being inept, reckless, and corrupt leadership.
The author therefore calls for a new paradigm – prophetic leadership, anointed leadership that is transformational.
Surely, a must for every Church, organization and political party … a heart cry for another JOSEPH to lead Africa.
THE UPPER ROOM Author Dr. John MacArthur
In a borrowed or rented room above some shop or large family dwelling – Jerusalem, the drama unfolded. The events and teaching recorded in John 13:16, commonly known as the Upper Room Discourse, revealed some of the most poignant and powerful promises for believers in all of Scripture.
During these final hours before Jesus’ betrayal, He gave his disciples – and all believers throughout history – His parting promises, His last will and testament.
This is MacArthur at his best – an exposition of the text that resonates with devotion to the Lord and love for God’s people, calling us to know and love the One who loved us to the end.
THE CHURCH JESUS PRAYED FOR Author Michael Cassidy
On John 17 Jesus prays for the Church. Michael Cassidy contrasts Jesus’ vision with the Church’s mundane reality asking what should we do? This is an enormously readable and attractive book, the fruit of reflection over 35 years.
Gordon Macdonald said of this book:
“this is the scholarship of a life time. Cassidy is an author you can trust. Read this book. I did and profited greatly.”
Lord Carey wrote:
“this might end up as a landmark study of John 17.”
IMMACULEE ILIBAGIZA Author Steve Erwin
For 3 months in the spring of 1994, the African nation of Rwanda descended into one of the most vicious and bloody genocides the world has ever seen. Immaculee, a young university student, miraculously survived the savage killing spree that left most of her family and friends and more than a million of her fellow citizens dead.
This book tells the story of how she survived and how she tried to find meaning and purpose in the aftermath of the genocide.
Rick Warren said of this book:
“if you’ve had a hard time letting go of a deep hurt, or difficulty in releasing your offender so you can get on with the rest of your life, Immaculee’s story will lead you to the place of healing, restoration and peace.”
DEVOTIONAL CLASSICS Author Richard Foster
Where Richard Foster’s other books, Celebration of Discipline and Prayer, have whetted the appetite for a deeper relationship with God, this book provides the means to go further. 52 readings have been carefully chosen to introduce readers to classic Christian devotional writers. Each is accompanied by an introduction to the author. From Julian of Norwich to C.S. Lewis, from Augustine to Bonhoeffer here is writing that has stood the test of time and that seeks to form the soul before God.
SEARCHING FOR MRS OSWALD CHAMBERS Author M. Christian
This book shares, for the first time ever, the inspirational story of Gertrude “Biddy” Chambers, the wife, mother, hostess, counsellor, comforter, correspondent, widow, business woman and faithful stenographer of Oswald Chamber’s writing. This amazing book tells the story of one woman’s tireless dedication to fulfilling her late husbands’ mission on earth and another woman’s relentless quest to uncover the truth behind the most celebrated devotional of all time.
THE WHITE NILE Author Alan Moorehead
Amongst the heroic annals of exploration, the discovery of CENTRAL AFRICA and the source of the Nile stand out dramatically. These explorers would disappear for years at a time and face death in many forms, on territory unmapped since Ptolemy. Their names make our pulses quicken – Livingstone the Bible reading Scot, Stanley the man who carried on from Livingstone, Richard Burton, Samuel Baker and Richard Speke.
This book starts in 1856 when Burton and Speke vanished for two years and finishes in 1900, when the mightiest river in the world had become an open highway from Central Africa to the Mediterranean.
BLANTYRE MISSION AND THE MAKING OF MODERN MALAWI Author A. Ross
When 1000 leading members of the Nyasaland African Congress were detained under the emergency regulations imposed by the Federation Government in 1959, the Presbyterian Chaplains who ministered to them in Limbe were Rev. Sangaya and Rev. Andrew Ross. They soon discovered that around 700 of the 1000 men were members of the CCAP (Presbyterian Church). This then raised the question as to why there were so many Presbyterians and to answer that question a thorough examination of the foundation and early history of the Blantyre Mission of the Church of Scotland, was made, hence this book.
It makes for fascinating reading and written in the mid 1960’s it remains today an indispensable work of reference for understanding the history of both Church and nation in Malawi. These missionaries, Scott, Henderson, Stewart, Hetherwich were heroes and I loved reading of what they did.
PREACHING ON FAVOURITE HYMNS Author Frank Colquhoun
Hymns have an important place in Christian worship, but most congregations know little about their authorship, background, contexts and message. One purpose of the hymn-sermon is to help the congregation to sing hymns with more interest and greater understanding. Also, many hymns are devotional treasures, rich in doctrine and provide excellent material for sermons on the various aspects of the spiritual life. Hymns also have great value for teaching the cardinal truths of the Christian faith in a form that people can easily grasp and remember.
With these points in mind, Frank Colquhoun here provides sermon outlines on 34 of the great hymns … it is a great book …
THE UNFOLDING DRAMA OF REDEMPTION Author G. Scroggie (Vol. 2)
In volume 1. of “The Unfolding Drama of Redemption” Scroggie covered the history of the OT, in volume 3. he will cover the Epistles and Revelation. In this volume he records for us the history of the inter-testamental period as well as the Gospels and Acts. To many Christians this period is sadly neglected and therefore little is understood of the great change which took place between the OT and the NT.
I only wish I had read this fantastic book when I was first converted.
BILLY BRAY Author F.W. Bourne
Billy Bray was born near TRURO in Cornwall, England in 1794. In his early days his remarkable natural powers and wit turned him into a wild young man, full of drunkenness and problems. But he was wonderfully converted and he became one of the most powerful agents for God and was greatly used across Cornwall. He could no more help speaking of Christ and His salvation than the sun can help shining. “I am the son of a King” was his favourite saying.
A lovely story of God’s grace.
AGAINST ALL ODDS Author Jim Stier
Against all odds chronicles a triumphant struggle to transcend overwhelming personal and spiritual barriers. This account documents how one couples desire to reach out to a hurting world became a permanent international outreach touching 1000’s of lives. From the threatened tribes deep in the Amazon to the abandoned street children in Brazil’s cities, witness the amazing move by a gracious God to touch those in need.
A young couple’s true story of God’s faithfulness in overwhelming circumstances.
NEW MOVEMENTS Author Alan Thompson
This excellent book is Part 3 of the TEF Church History Course initiated by John Foster. It takes us up to 1800 covering the period when new movements of reform and expansion were setting the stage for the missionary explosion and development of the 19th and 20th centuries which are described in Part 4. He covers Martin Luther and the Reformation in Germany, Ulrich Zwingli and the Reformation in Switzerland, Calvin and the Reformation in France, the Radical Reformers, the Reformation in England, the Puritan Movements in America, Pietist Christianity and then the beginning of Liberal Theology and Rationalism.
For those who also love Church History this will be a great read.
SEARCH FOR THE 12 APOSTLES Author W.S. McBirnie
Here’s a moving and exciting adventure into the world of the Apostles. What really happened to the men who knew and worked with Jesus? How did they turn the world upside down? Where did they go and what did they do?
By traveling to the places they once knew, by studying the Scriptures and Biblical history, by listening to local tradition and engaging in original research, Dr. McBirnie has uncovered the fascinating untold histories of Christ’s Apostles and their activities. The author begins where the Acts of the Apostles leaves off and he brings these astonishing men to vivid life as the human beings there were, with their dedication, humanity, zeal and triumphant faith.
The search for the 12 Apostles is not a book about bones and relics, but a dramatic take of the men who knew Jesus the best and were transformed because of it. So read this book if you want to know more about the Apostles and especially where they went to preach.