Christian Readers discussion

I'm starting Sex God by Rob Bell here shortly, but I wondered if anyone had any other books that they strongly recommend. Do share.

If you get on a Rob Bell kick, I recommend Velvet Elvis. It's quite good.

The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer is one of my all time favorites as well.

Right now I would probably recommend "The Mosaic of Christian Belief." (Roger Olsen) It is the closest I have seen to an exposition about what unities orthodoxy and divides from it. Helped put in words thoughts and ideas I had.

The second being a distinctive belief of mine but "The Baptism of the Holy Spirit" by R.A. Torrey. A small but meaningful book.

Ryan, I have actually read both of those and thought they were definitely worth a read.

"The Mosaic of Christian Belief" sounds interesting and educational, I'll give it a shot.

Does anyone know of any new books dealing with the effects of television? I read "Amusing Ourselves to Death" several years back and thought it was remarkably relevant despite being written over 20 years ago.

I've never read Rob Bell, but I just put Velvet Elvis on hold at the library.(I work there). I just finished Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin and recommend it to all fathers and sons. He is a great writer.

I think Rob Bell and Donald Miller are in a similar category of younger guys who are rethinking how we need to do church and what role Christians should play in culture and politics. If nothing else I usually find them thought-provoking.

I just finished Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller this past week, and I'm now reading Velvet Elvis. I think both are good, but Velvet Elvis is a little uneven so far. As for Blue Like Jazz, I thought it was fun and thought-provoking. It definitely causes you to reflect on your spiritual growth.

I recommend NT Wright's The Challenge of Jesus, if you want to go a little deeper into some of the issues brought up in Bell. This is the only book I've read of Wright's, but it seems like he does a good job of taking his years of research into Jesus's first century context and turning it into a fairly accessible and not too long book for the rest of us. I'm told that Wright's thought is behind much of the theology of the Emergent Church movement that Bell is a part of. But I'm just an Old Norse mythologist with little experience in 21st century Christian movements, so probably better not to take my word for it ;)

I love Charles Martin's books! My favortie is Wrapped in Rain, but I love all of them. Chasing Fireflies, When Crickets Cry, The Dead Don't Dance and Maggie.

Can I suggest my book "And God Created Human: A Collection of Scenes and Monologues"? It's a fun read with God and humanity as the central characters and showing God's love for us despite ourselves.

I just listened to a Mark Driscoll message given last week at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. In there he was warning about the emergent church. Specifically mentioned Rob Bell, Craig Pagitt, & Brian Mclaren. He gave good evidence to back up his warning that these guys are venturing into the unorthodox liberal wing of Christianity...

Just so you know where I'm coming from... John Piper is my author of choice. I did love Blue Like Jazz and I look forward to reading Driscoll's book. I've never read Bell nor seen his Nooma videos nor heard his sermons...

These are a few that have really helped me. Praying God's Word - Beth Moore
The Attributes & Sovereignty of God - Arthur W. Pink (these are awesome)
Idols of the Heart - Elyse Fitzpatrick (very eye opening)
Holiness - J.C. Ryle :)
Trusting God & The Joy of Fearing God - Jerry Bridges
Sex Is Not The Problem (Lust Is) - Joshua Harris
Instruments in the Redeemer's Hand - Paul Tripp (loved it)
The Purity Principle & The Treasure Principle - Randy Alcorn

I recommended book to read are :
1. "Heaven is so real" by Choo Thomas
(or link to : http://www.choothomas.com/index.html)
2. "A Divine Revelation of HELL" by Mary K. Baxter (or you can visit : http://www.spiritlessons.com/Mary_K_B...)
You won't be regret if you read these books.

I'm currently reading Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World: Finding Intimacy With God in the Busyness of Life by Joanna Weaver. It came highly recommended by a couple friends. I'm enjoying it.

I highly recommend the book "Making Today Count For Eternity"! It is excellent. It helps you to get a glimpse on how God sees our lives from a broader perspective compared to our limited perspective.

I've recently finished a book called "The Restorer" by Sharon Hinck. I'm not normally into fantasy but I picked up this one because it sounded interesting. And am I glad I did!!! I highly recommend it...it's excellent! Check out other people's comments on this site or check it out on Amazon.

I got to read "The Restorer" in an early early early draft about 5 years ago or so after meeting Sharon at the Mt Hermon Writers conference, and really liked it-- and have finally gotten my hands on copy and have started it again. Still good! I think I like it better now, and not just because she's had time to rewrite it. It doesn't fit the sort of fantasy I typically read, but then again, hardly anything on the Christian market does (for one of my rants about this sort of thing, see my reviews of Kathy Tyers' work-- which I like, but...) Anyway, it's fun, original, somewhat in the vein of Joseph Bentz' fantasy "Song of Fire" in that it is a real world person sucked into a fantasy world where they must take on a role set aside for them. My only complaint with both is that the jump into the fantasy world is so fast as to almost feel contrived, but if they were to take as long to set it up as Stephen Lawhead did in his Song of Albion series, I suppose the audience might get bored (especially if they are looking for the exotic). It's a tough balancing act. In terms of mainstream fantasy, I suppose this "real world into the fantasy world" has some parallels in Stephen Donaldson's work, as well as some other books I haven't read yet-- and of course there is Narnia. Ok, I guess I'll have to save the rest for the review.

I recommended The Priestly Bride by Anna Rountree. this book show us how loyal and faithfull should our life to HIM so we can be so close to THE FATHER and THE SON "JESUS". Anna Rountree has the experience become one of FATHER's special daughter.

i really like any of Donald Miller's books. I also enjoy Shane Claiborne of The Irresistible Revolution.

Had decided I would hate "captivating" before I read it, because it sounded so girly, but am so empowered by it and im only the third way through! Making plans to read "Wild at Heart" as well. Also want to try "Nuture" by Lisa Bevere, anyone read that?

Hey Glenda, I always seem to agree with your posts concerning theology so I will be very curious to see what you think of "Wild at Heart." I thought he pegged men very well but his concept of God.....well, we'll see what you think!

Glenn

WELL then Glenn, if you really wanna explore my theology ideas then read my book! Actually it's less theology more giggles but some inspiration within; its called "The Embarrassed Evangelist", shameful self promotion I know but I just could not resist! Forgve me!!!!

For Christian fiction, I really enjoy Ted Dekker, Frank Peretti, and Dee Henderson.

Ted Dekker - Three
Frank Peretti - Monster
Dee Henderson - Danger in the Shadows

I love Ted Dekker too. I haven't heard of Frank Peretti or Dee Henderson. What did they write?

The Shack by William P. Young I am almost finished.

Kym, frank Peretti wrote This Present darkness and Piercing the Darkness, awesome novels on spiritual warfare. A must read for any Christian!

Hey, Kym! I actually include links to my favorite books by each author in the previous post.

Frank Peretti has a similar writing style to Ted Dekker, in my opinion. Many of his works are on the Christian-paranormal-mystery side of things. They usually keep me on the edge of my seat and flying through the page. He actually co-authored House with Ted Dekker.

Dee Henderson writes romance-mystery novels with Christian themes. Her O'Malley series is my favorite and Danger in the Shadows is the prequel to the series. I call her chick-lit with some mystery thrown in.

Mmmm sounds interesting. I'll check them out. Have you or anyone else read The Shack?

i just picked up The Shack at the library. i was number 42 on the queue. haven't started yet.

I read The Shack not long after it hit the shelves. I wasn't really even sure what it was about, but I kept being drawn back to it.

For indiviuals who have a strong feeling of God being a male, there's a bit of a hitch with the book. I, however, really enjoyed how it showed the love of God and the holy trinity. It did a really nice job of explaining the trinity without being "preachy" or over my head.

It was a fast read that I personally really enjoyed.

I just finished reading WARRING SPIRITS by April W. Gardner. WOW! What a profoundly moving piece of Literature! It is a tremendous Historical Romance a man would probably enjoy as much as a woman.
It has constant adventure, baser and gentler sides of human nature, racial prejudices, forgiveness, change of heart.

I just read Socrates Meets Jesus by Peter Kreeft. Hilarious and brilliant. :D

Is anyone into biblical history and if so can anyone recommend a good book portraying Esther? Besides Joan Wolf

Yes. Both Heather Moore and C.S. Lewis have good ones.
I think Heather Moore's book is called Esther the Queen but I won't swear to it.

Try
The Return

It has some good reviews
Night Owl Reviews

Title: The Return
Authors: Carter Vance
Score: 5.00 / 5 - Reviewer Top Pick

A young man discovers a hidden library filled with books and papers mentioning the Knights Templar. Soon after, he is found murdered, surrounded by the mysterious ancient symbols of an ancient order long thought to be disbanded. His friend, a wealthy business man, Peter Christos, meets and begins a romance with a mutual friend, Sarah Morales. Unknown to them, the Templars are alive and well and want to protect the couple from forces that seek to prevent the fulfillment of the prophecy about Christ's return. Thus begins a cat-and-mouse game of biblical proportions involving the Holy Grail, the Ark of the Covenant and the ultimate battle for Humanity itself.
The Return is the first in a series about the Christian prophecy of the eventual return of Jesus. I found the book to be a fascinating read, well-written and engaging. While it is similar to The DaVinci Code, it is at the same time quite different. I give this book 5 stars and encourage everyone to read it.


MyBookAddictionsReviews.com
>
> I found The Return to be a very interesting and intense book something on the order of the Da Vinci Code. It kept you wondering what would happen next. You wondered if the Knights Templar really do exist. Will good be over taken by evil? In order to find out you have to read The Return by Carter Vance. It was a very well written book that will make you think. The Return was a love story, a mystery, and a thriller all rolled into one.
>
> Rating: 5
>
> Heat Rating: Mild
>
> Reviewed by: Susan

I just finished reading 'Finding Her Way' by Leah Baniki. This is a clean, well-writen historical fiction. It is a great reminder of the sacrifices of those who lived previously so we can enjoy a life with fewer hardships. it has some romance. For further review, go to http://rockinbookreviews.com

John Piper, D.A. Carson, R.C. Sproul, Charles Spurgeon, Francis Chan, Kevin DeYoung, Augustine, John Calvin, Mark Driscoll, Michael Horton, Lewis & Tolkien, Tim Keller and John Owen

"The Danger of Prosperity" - William Bates (Digital Puritan)

"The Fisherman's Wife" by Kathleen Glavich is a wonderful and inspiring book in the Christian fiction genre. Please visit the book's unofficial page for more information. https://www.facebook.com/St.PetersSpouse

Most if not all the authors I mentioned would tell you to steer clear of Rob Bell, The Shack, and anything emergent/heretical such as these. Check out Deyoung & Kluck, Why We're not Emergent for more understanding on this subject.Why We're Not Emergent

Glenda wrote: "WELL then Glenn, if you really wanna explore my theology ideas then read my book! Actually it's less theology more giggles but some inspiration within; its called "The Embarrassed Evangelist", sham..."

Hi Glenda, excuse another shameful self-promotion by me recommending my christian novel, SCARED COURAGE, dealing with true integrity. The link wiyh full description is, http://www.lulu.com/shop/muriel-gill/...
Thanks

Krista, Ambassador of Shimmy wrote: "For Christian fiction, I really enjoy Ted Dekker, Frank Peretti, and Dee Henderson.

Ted Dekker - Three
Frank Peretti - Monster
Dee Henderson - Danger in the Shadows"

Krista, may I add to your list, a new christian fiction, desling with integrity, called SCARED COURAGE. A link with full description is here, http://www.lulu.com/shop/muriel-gill/...
Thanks.

Kymberly wrote: "The Shack by William P. Young I am almost finished."

I just finished reading The Shack. It's wonderful, it reawakens the reality of christianity being a relationship, and the goodness of God. We cannot trust Him, until we settle it in our minds and hearts that He is good.

Muriel wrote: "Kymberly wrote: "The Shack by William P. Young I am almost finished."

I just finished reading The Shack. It's wonderful, it reawakens the reality of christianity being a relationship, and the good..."

Another great book you might like is "The Fisherman's Wife", by Kathleen Glavich. She does an amazing job bringing the Gospel to life through a woman's eyes.

Again, this is not Christianity but heresy. Modalism has been around a long time. Its nothing but old lies in a new package.

Check out this short video on the subject:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK65Jf...

I just finished reading NO WAY OUT BUT THROUGH, by Graham Aitchison. It's a wonderful testimony of how the Lord healed him of mental disorder and emotional turbulence. It is written very candidly, with humility.
Along the journey to his total recovery and restoration, the Lord taught him many principles of freedom. It's got a whole lot of nuggets of wisdom. I personally learned several good lessons from it. I recommend it highly.

Change Your Perspective by J. Poet – Book Review
By Susan McMichael
4 out of 5 stars

Different perspectives, interesting times and reliance …
As a long time singer of Church music, both hymns and songs, and as a poet, I was looking forward to this book. Christian poetry’s framework and structures have changed over the past thirty years, in much the same way as secular poetry has: using much more free verse. Following in this heritage this is a book of free verse. I appreciated Change your Perspective's hopeful tone of getting the reader to enjoy their life, to see how God and Christ could make a difference to people's lives. In the poetry in Change Your Perspective: A Collection Of Inspirational Poetry, the reader is asked to take a journey from the physical reality of imperfection to the spiritual view of change for the better through Christ. Despite this emphasis on the spiritual this is not a book of ‘grandiose’ events, but rather of the very ordinary. Following along these lines Poet uses the common, vernacular speech to bring God into these poems: “When your chips are down... you say you want / To be married / You say this will / Make your life / Whole” (Ladies – Give God A Chance).

The book is a series of small recipes for getting your life back together, for changing your ideas. It is divided into three main sections: Broken, The Almighty God and Emerge. It delves into the everyday, including those feelings and actions that we like to deny.


http://goo.gl/X5SMcL (Change Your Perspective - Book ed.)
http://goo.gl/Ucv71F (Change your Perspective - Kindle ed.)


For the full review please click:

http://raymondmathiesenbookreviews.bl...