Hello!
I would like to encourage you to read your Bible through from cover to cover this year. Also, I would like to advise you to get a hold of some good books that will either instruct or inspire you in living for the Lord in 2008. I enjoyed an average of a book a week last year, which is my goal this year.
Below are brief reviews of books that I have read in 2008. Some of the books I will recommend are no longer in print, but you can usually find a copy on Ebay if you are patient. I hope that you will read some good books this year. If you have a recommendation for me, feel free to email me at the above address. - Brother O'Neal
1. The Land and Life of Rest - W. Graham Scroggie - Read 01/05/08
This copy is a hardback published in 1951 by Pickering & Inglis Ltd., in London, with 87 pages. This book is a study of the book of Joshua in light of the New Testament. These were addresses given at the Keswick Convention.
Scroggie was born in 1877 and trained for the ministry under C.H. Spurgeon. If I'm not mistaken, he may have been in one of the last graduating classes that CHS taught. During World War II he became the pastor of Spurgeon's old church.
I enjoyed the book, and I recommend it to you, if you can find a copy.
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2. What New Doctrine is This? - Bob Shuler - Read 01/18/08
This copy is a hardback with a dustjacket published in 1946 by Abingdon-Cokesbury Press , New York, NY, with 192 pages. It is a collection of sermons by a famous Methodist preacher of his day. Shuler pastored the Trinity Methodist Church of Los Angeles, CA for 33 years before retiring. The first book of sermons I ever got by him was published by the Sword of the Lord in 1953. If you will search on the Internet for his name with the word "fundamentalist" you will find that he was generally considered to be one.
In spite of that reputation as a fundamentalist, that he had a book published by the Sword of the Lord, and that the majority of these sermons and the material in them is sound, he was weak on the literal nature of hell on p. 102 and 108 and, not surprisingly, weak on eternal security.
Shuler would certainly cause a riot in the average Methodist church today, as would Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. or Evangelist Sam Jones before him. By the way, if you ever get to read the sermons of either of these two men, you won't be disappointed, and I say that as a Bible-believing, fundamental, independendent Baptist.
3. What do the Prophets Say? - C.I. Scofield - Read 01/25/08
This copy is a hardback published in 1918 by The Sunday School Times Company, Philadelphia, PA, with 188 pages. 1951 by Pickering & Inglis Ltd., in London, with 87 pages. This book was written by the famous editor of the King James Bible which bears his name during World War II. It is a great series of studies on the work of God through dispensations and ages. The book could have been a lot shorter had he not printed out the entirety of each text to which he referred in the book. Interestingly, on page 143, Scofield said that the Antichrist would not be a Jew.
4. Before I Forget - Wilbur M. Smith - Read 01/25/08
This copy is a hardback with dustjacket published in 1971 by Moody Press, Chicago, IL, with 304 pages. This book is an autobiography of a man who had many contacts with the previous generation, especially in connection with D.L. Moody. His father was converted under Moody, and his parents were married by William G. Moorhead, one of the Scofield Reference Bible editors. His father was assistant Sunday School director at Moody Memorial Church and was on the board of elders. Billy Sunday and his wife often stayed at their home in Chicago. Smith pastored some in the Presbyterian church, but he is most known for his work as a writer and editor. He taught at Moody, Fuller, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. His most famous book is probably Therefore Stand. In his later years he seemed to grow steadily weaker in conviction. Some of this may have been due to age, or perhaps his associations.
I enjoyed the book as I do most biographies of fundamental and conservative leaders, and I recommend it to you, if you can find a copy.
5. The Coming and Kingdom of Christ - Read 03/27/08
This copy is a hardback published in 1914 by The Bible Institute Colportage Association (Moody Press), Chicago, IL, with 252 pages.This book's contents are revealed by its subtitle,
A Stenographic Report of the
Prophetic Bible Conference
Held at the Moody Bible Institute
Of
Chicago
February 24-27, 1914
This book took a while for me to read because of the small type, but it was extremely interesting, both for its content and for its historical value in American premillennialism. Some of the sermons were by James M. Gray, C.I. Scofield, Charles Trumbull, W.B. Riley, L.W. Munhall, William L. Pettingill, Bob Jones, A.C. Gaebelein, Ford C. Ottman, R.A. Torrey, and many others! I feel very blessed to be able to own and read a copy of this book. It helped me imagine what it might have been like to have been in attendance at the conference.
6. A Treasury of Vance Havner - Read 04/28/08
This copy is a hardback with a dustjacket published in 1988 by Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, MI, with 265 pages. It was compiled by Betsey D. Scanlan. Vance Havner, born in 1901, started preaching at the age of 12 and preached for over 70 years. Although he was a Southern Baptist, he was a maverick evangelist for most of his ministry, not a politician. He wrote 38 published books.
Brother Havner's style was witty and unique. There is an abundance of sermon thoughts, outlines, and sharp sayings in his writings. Although my refusal to give the appearance of supporting SBC churches and their Cooperative Program meant that I would not attend a Southern Baptist Church even to hear him, I always enjoy reading his books. The editor of this book excerpted from his books and grouped these into subjects comprising 12 chapters.
7. Religion With a Song - Millard Alford Jenkens - Read 04/28/08
This copy is a hardback with dustjacket published in 1942 by Broadman Press in Nashville, TN, with 160 pages. This book is a series of 9 sermons on the subject of Bible songs. While I am not one who reads sermon outlines, I do enjoy sermon books. The author, who inscribed and signed the book in the front, was an old Southern Baptist preacher who pastored the First Baptist Church of Abilene, TX. I know nothing about him other than that. I got the book among others from a seller on Ebay and thought it might be worth reading. My wife read it first and recommended it to me. If you like reading sermons you would probably enjoy this one.
8. The Golden Alphabet - C.H. Spurgeon - Read 04/30/08
This copy is a hardback published around 1887 by Fleming H. Revell Co. in New York, NY, with 341 pages. This book is a series of studies on Psalm 119.
As some of you may know, after completing a series of Wednesday night sermons, one per each of the Psalms, I proceeded to preach 22 sermons on the 22 octaves of Ps. 119. I knew that I had a copy of the above book in my library, so I thought it might be a good time to read it for inspiration and provocation of my thinking.
Spurgeon has written a lengthy exposition of the longest chapter in the Bible, but it really wasn't that helpful to me. I guess that outside of his Lectures to my Students and John Ploughman's talks, I haven't really benefited much from reading his wordy works. I am hoping to get Salt Cellars in hardback someday, as I had the chance to browse through it once and it looked good.
If you're wanting to study Psalm 119 you might find his book helpful. As for me, I got much more out of just studying the chapter one section at a time. I have about four more sermons to complete the psalm and have thoroughly enjoyed both the study of the psalm and the preparation of the messages. I called the series, "The Glory Book."