- The Holy Bible, New International
Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1973, 1978, 1984.
If you’re confused by too many
different translations and want to choose one that’s easy to read, I use and recommend
the NIV (New International Version) or TNIV Study Bible. These are fairly
easy to read and the study versions give more information into the meaning and
context of the passages. To jump
start your supernatural journey, my tip to you is to study Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John (The Gospels) first, because they have so many great accounts of the
supernatural at work in Jesus’ life.
- MacArthur, John.
The MacArthur Bible Commentary. Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005.
If you truly desire to study and understand the Bible, then
no personal library is complete without at least one bible commentary. A bible commentary will give you an
entire page explaining a scripture and some history. I have several and I use them all. As with all reference books, these are written from the
viewpoint and interpretation of whatever training and belief system the author
possesses. Look at the education
and credentials of the author and look at some of the widely contested passages
(such as Ephesians 4:11) to see if they line up with the Truth. The good news is that most of the
biblical interpretations are pretty much the same from commentary to
commentary. I just happen to
be telling you about this one because I used it for the discussion on the armor
of God.
- Lee Strobel. The Case for Faith. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000.
The Case for
Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998.
The Case for
a Creator. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004.
Lee was an avowed atheist and
journalist that set out once and for all to prove the Bible and Biblical claims
to be false. As you might guess, his
research converted him. In The
Case for Faith, Lee provides excellent
research into why we know that the Biblical teachings are True. In The
Case for Christ, he strives to research the
accounts of the Bible and, specifically, the person called Jesus. You will see that the prophetic
writings in the Bible concerning the Messiah are fulfilled in Jesus.
- Josh McDowell. The
New Evidence that Demands a Verdict. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
This is a very good reference book that answers almost all
of those theological questions you have pondered (and a few you haven’t). Remember that many of these theological
questions can have different answers depending on how the author was raised or
trained. Josh seems to be fairly
mainstream in most of his answers.
If you read it cover to cover, you’ll definitely believe in God and
Jesus.
- C.S Lewis. Mere
Christianity. New York, NY:
Simon & Schuster, 1996.
The Screwtape Letters. New
York, NY: Harper Collins
Publishers, Inc., 2001
You may know C.S. Lewis from his books, and from movies
based on his books like, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. The
Screwtape Letters is a fictional book about
the training of a young demon called Screwtape through his letters to his uncle
(a much more experienced demon) about how he’s deceiving and working to keep a
person away from God. There’s a
lot of truth in this book about how we act and relate to certain temptations
and emotions in our lives. Mere
Christianity isn’t the easiest read, but
it’s got a lot of spiritual meat to it.
- Dr. James B. Richards. Satan Unmasked –The Truth Behind the
Lie.
Huntsville, AL: Milestones
International Publishers, 1998, 2004.
This is one of the best books I
have read on spiritual warfare and the lies that we have been taught about
Satan and his power over us. A
must read for everyone engaged in spiritual warfare.
- Douglas Groothuis. Confronting the New Age. Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press,
1988.
Also look for,
Unmasking the New Age and Are
All Religions One?
Confronting the New Age
is a great book that looks at the lies being taught by many in the New Age
movement. The booklet Are
All Religions One? is a pocket-sized book
that addresses the Biblical answer to the question posed in its title.
- Brother Yun. The Heavenly Man. London: Monarch Books, 2002.
Living
Water. Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, 2008.
These books are about the life of Brother Yun and the
amazing supernatural things that happened in his life – everything from the
supernatural way he learned about God to amazing prison escapes. YES, God is actively at work,
supernaturally touching and blessing people TODAY!
- Frank Peretti. Piercing
the Darkness. Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1989.
Also look for This Present
Darkness.
Although these are fictional spiritual books, the
presentation of the supernatural can give you a good idea of what I think we
are dealing with on earth today.
- Randy Alcorn. Heaven. Wheaton,
IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc,
2004.
Also look for Deadline.
These books specifically deal with the topic of heaven and
what happens when we die. Heaven, is a scripturally based book that seeks to answer
some of those nagging questions about afterlife. Deadline is a
fictional book about death, heaven, and hell. Although it’s fictional, it makes you think about what might
happen when we die! It has one of
the best depictions of hell I’ve ever read.
- Joyce Meyer. Battlefield
of the Mind. Tulsa, OK:
Harrison House, 1995.
The Battlefield of the Mind is a great book to help you understand and work to win the battle in
your mind. Remember that we
discussed how the enemy will use our thinking and emotions to control and
torment us. Joyce gives great
information on how to win the battle with the lies Satan tries to plant in our
minds.
- The Truth Project group study – www.thetruthproject.org
This is a 12-week video study that answers many questions
about how the Truth of the Bible interacts with our world. Visit the Focus on the Family website
to see if there’s a study in your area.
- Rick Warren. The Purpose Driven Life. Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002.
The Purpose Driven Life
is an excellent start for figuring God’s purpose for your life and how to tap
into that purpose.
- Francis S. Collins.
The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief.
As director of the Human Genome Project, Collins led a group
of scientists to map the roughly three billion letters of the human genome –
our DNA pattern – and in doing so, changed from atheist to a believer in
God.
- Unlocking the Mystery of Life
DVD from Illustra Media
This is an excellent DVD that walks through a scientific
discussion of the discovery of a microscopic organism and how its existence
fits in with the intelligent design theory. This is a MUST see!
