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Recommended Reading

Pastor O'Ffill does not necessarily endorse all of the concepts expressed in somel of the books listed below, but believes that these books are important resources for knowing and understanding the issues of our times.

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Books to Keep You Up With the Times

  • A Family of Value by John Rosemond. Straight talk on strengthening the American family and rearing successful, happy children.
  • All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes, by Kenneth MyersAll God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes by Kenneth Myers. An excellent source to establish a thoughtful dissonance with the pop culture that has invaded Christianity.
  • Ashamed of the Gospel by John MacArthur. The author is primarily concerned with "pragmatism". Pragmatism ignores doctrine and focuses more on achieving "success" than on communicating God's Word unashamedly. Tragically, this theology: emphasizes church growth over church doctrine, makes entertaining congregations more important than feeding them spiritually and views truth as being secondary to "what works".
  • A Woman Rides the Beast by Dave Hunt. Inasmuch as the author believes that confusion now surrounds the issues which were involved at the Reformation, the purpose of this book is to present vital, factual information which throws essential light upon the whole question of Catholic/Protestant relationships. The book is not about Catholics as individuals but about a system which he believes does not represent the Biblical teaching of the Gospel.
  • Behind the Stained Glass Windows by John and Sylvia Ronsvalle. The fact that money is an important dynamic in our society seems obvious. The fact that money plays an important role in the patterns of church life may be less clear. The book attempts to explore the implications of those dynamics for the state of the church in the United States.
  • Beyond Seduction by Dave Hunt. This book is a sequel to The Seduction of Christianity and continues to show how the ideologies of the New Age have become engrafted in much of the current Christian thinking.
  • Charismatic Chaos, by John MacArthurCharismatic Chaos by John MacArthur. The charismatic movement has made an impact on the church unparalleled in history. But one of the legacies of the movement has been confusion and mushy thinking. In Charismatic Chaos, MacArthur calls for biblical evaluation and analyzes the doctrinal differences between charismatics and non-charismatics in the light of Scripture.
  • Christianity in Crisis by Hank Hanegraaff. Influential teachers are utilizing the power of the airways as well as scores of books and tapes, and magazines to distort the concept of the creator and promote antibibical doctrines that boggle the mind. The result is nothing less than a systematic subversion of the historic Christian faith. This book exposes darkness to light and provides solutions for averting the crisis in Christianity and restoring a Christianity centered in Christ.
  • Counterfeit Revival by Hank Hanegraaff. The author spotlights the stark contrast between the deeds of the flesh and a genuine work of the Spirit. The book is a call to the church to get back to basics before it is too late.
  • Diseasing of America - Addiction Treatment Out of Control by Stanton Peele. Commonly accepted ideas about alcoholism and other addictions are almost entirely without scientific basis. Diseasing of America should be read by all who are concerned about addiction.
  • Generation Me by Jean M. Twenge, Ph.D. This book explains why today's young Americans are more confident, assertive, entitled-- and more miserable than ever before. This book reveals the true effects of the self-esteem movement.
  • God in the Wasteland by David F. Wells. Arguing that the churchís diminished appetite for truth will not be restored without repentance and a fresh encounter with the holy God, Wells makes a compelling case for urgently needed reform in the evangelical church. Without such reform, he says, evangelical faith will be lost in and to the modernity that has invaded the church.
  • Here We Stand by Samuel Karanteng-Pipim, editor. Novelty is now the measure of the Spirit's leading. Hence we uncritically adopt new methods for church planting and church growth, new views on Creation and other established doctrines, new styles of worship and new views on music. Are the arguments Biblically sound? In Here We Stand, some of the church's most respected thought leaders have addressed these questions in an compelling way.
  • Hidden Heresy? by Thomas Mostert. Author Thomas Mostert looks at some current trends in popular churches -- trends and methodologies that are being eagerly embraced in Adventism -- and raises some red-flag concerns.
  • History of the Christian Church, 8 volumes by Philip Schaff.
  • Homosexuality, Contemporary Claims Examined in the Light of the Bible, Classical Jewish, Greek, and Roman Literature and Law by James B. De YoungHomosexuality, Contemporary Claims Examined in the Light of the Bible, Classical Jewish, Greek, and Roman Literature and Law by James B. De Young. With sound reasoning, De Young responds to claims of those who support a Christian acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle, This book answers the reinterpreters who deny that Scripture condemns the homosexual lifestyle through a careful analysis of Bible references and surprising evidence from ancient extrabiblical sources. This is a compassionate but definitive response to homosexuality's proponents.
  • Lord, Save My  Church - Tackling the Tough Issues by Richard O'Ffill.

    With candor, Richard W. O'Ffill offers a wide variety of talking points for bibical truth and Christian living. In a media-saturated world where it is easier to hear more about the life of Britney Spears than the life of Jesus Christ, we must confront our assumptions and prejudices in the light of the gospel. In the ninety-some brief assertions and defenses in this book you will find much to ponder. You will agree with many. Pay special attention to those you don't. The Holy Spirit may be trying to tell you something.

  • Losing Our Virtue by David F. Wells. Wells presents a perceptive, penetrating analysis of our contemporary cultural crisis. He vividly describes the moral and spiritual confusion of the crisis and suggests how the evangelical church can regain its voice, and consequentlly its influence, in the postmodern world.
  • Manufacturing Victims by Dr. Tana Dineed. This book is a spirited and deeply principled critique of the inanities and abuses of contemporaray psychology. While showing tremendous compassion towards real victims of rape, accidents and torture, the author skillfully takes the Psychology Industry to task for destroying families, promoting hostile views of men and women, promoting distrust and suspicion, and misusing science.
  • Music in the Balance by Frank Garlock and Kurt Woetzel. Is music amoral? An incorrect answer to this question has led to multiplied perversions of the principles of the Word of God as they apply to music. This book goes right to the core of this issue by approaching it in a logical and unemotional manner.
  • No Place for Truth by David F. Wells. Written expressly to encourage renewal in evangelical theology, No Place for Truth explores the interface between Christian faith and the modern world in entirely new ways and with uncommon rigor. The author examines the collapse of theology in the church, the academy, and modern culture, raising profound questions about the future of conservative Protestant faith.
  • Parent/Teen Breakthrough by Mira Kirshenbaum and Charles Foster, Ph.D. If you are like most parents of teenagers, you wish you could breaak down the barrieirs and build a solid, honest relationship with your son or daughter. This book will help you.
  • Pop Goes the Gospel, by John BlanchardPop Goes the Gospel by John Blanchard. This book is an excellent rebuttal to those who would say that Gospel Rock is a legitimate means for carrying the gospel to young people. This book is a must read!
  • Postmodern Times by Gene Edward Veith, Jr. Pinpoints the strengths and weaknesses of postmodern thought and points the way for Christians to take advantage of both.
  • Reaching out Without Dumbing Down by Marva Dawn. Dawn's erudite volume is not easily dismissed by her detractors and they are legion. In the me-centered worship of today such quotes as the following are a refreshing counterpoint: "Jesus urges persistence in prayer, not so that we can get our way with God, but so that God can get His way in us."
  • Reckless Faith by John MacArthur. Reckless Faith is a plea for discernment. The book takes a serious historical look at where many Christians have gone wrong, and explains in-depth the point at which faith becomes "reckless." It also gives a clear prescription for how the church can return to discernment.
  • Selling Jesus, What's Wrong With Marketing the Church by Douglass Webster. This volume is extremely helpful in uncovering the motivation to create man-centered worship formats. "Giving people simply what they whatmay satisfy certain felt needs but make it more difficult to give them what they truly need. Meeting a basic human need is inspired by God and motivated out of compassion. Meeting a culturally induced felt need caters to selfishness and is motivated out of competition."
  • Shall We Dance? by Brian EdwardsShall We Dance? by Brian Edwards. One of the best little volumes available which surveys the historical literature which describe the roles of drama and dance in worship. "...whenever the Christian church was at its most healthy and vigorous, dance and drama were either small concern or totally opposed. It may be only a small exaggeration to claim that drama was the rigor mortis of the medieval church and as the church continues to go downhill, dance and drama will go uphill." "When the church has been in a healthy state preaching has always been both the cause and the result.
  • Slouching Towards Gomorrah by Robert Bork. We can accept our fate and try to insulate ourselves and our loved ones from the devastating effects of a degenerating cuture, or we can choose to halt the beast, to oppose modern liberalism in every arena. In the view of Robert Bork, an understanding of our problem and the will to resist may be our only hope.
  • The Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom. The author argues that the social and political crisis of twentieth-century America is really an intellectual crisis. From the universities' lack of purpose to their student's lack of learning, from the jargon of liberation to the supplanting of reason by creativity, the book shows how American democracy has unwittingly played host to vulgarized Continental ideas of nihilism and despair, of relativism disguised as tolerance.
  • The Coming Evangelical Crisis by John Armstrong, General Editor. This book is a series of 14 essays. Leonard Payton's essay entitled "How shall we sing to God?" is wonderfully cogent and instructive. "If we are to recover the authority of Scripture in our worship, then we must likewise recover it in our music, which is an important element of true God-centered worship conforming to the principle of sola Scriptura."
  • The Death of Truth by Dennis McCallum. This book explains changes happening in intellectual circles and makes an understanding of the sweeping effects of postmodernism accessible to everyone, detailing how these changes impact our lives.
  • The End of Christian Psychology, by Martin and Deidre BobganThe End of "Christian Psychology" by Martin and Deidre Bobgan. This book contends that Christian psychology is comprised of the same confusion of contradictory theories and techniques as secular psychology. An eye-opener as to how godless philosophies have been accepted in the church.
  • The Great Controversy by Ellen G. White. This classic is a history of the fulfillment of prophecy from the time of Jesus to the earth made new. This book shows the place of the United States in Bible prophecy.
  • The New Absolutes by William D. Watkins. "What We see is a culture war of opposing moral and social visions carried on by people convinced that their views are absolutely true and the views of their adversaries are absolutely false. These emerging new absolutes are not simply slight modifications of the old truths. We are witnessing worlds of ideas in collision..."
  • The Seduction of Christianity by Dave Hunt. A facinating book showing how the modern new age and pop psychologies have infiltrated the church.
  • The Ten Commandments by Dr. Laura Schlessinger and Rabbi Stewart Vogel. This book is a powerful application of the principles enunciated in the greatest code of laws ever given, the Ten Commandments.
  • The Thunder of Justice by Ted and Maureen Flynn. This book is written from a Catholic perspective. It details the major Marian apparations, their messages and their meanings. A person who has read The Great Controversy will appreciate the significance of this book.
  • This Little Church Went to Market by Gary Gilley. Marketing tactics, demographic analyses and entertainment-oriented worship have taken the new paradigm Church by storm. The result is a Christian community which is rapidly losing its focus and forfeiting its biblical mandate. This Little Church Went to Market is a call of the Church to return to its scriptural roots.
  • Toxic Psychiatry, by Peter R. Breggin. M.D.Toxic Psychiatry by Peter R. Breggin. M.D. This book sounds a passionate, much-needed wake-up call for everyone who plays a part, active or passive, in America's ever-increasing dependence on harmful psychiatric drugs.
  • Tozer on Worship and Entertainment by A.W. Tozer. Tozer was some thirty years ahead of his time as he declared "We must have a new reformation. There must come a violent break with that irresponsible, amusement mad, paganized pseudo-religion which passes today for the faith of Christ and which is being spread all over the world by unspiritual men employing unscriptural methods to achieve their ends."
  • Why I left the Contemporary Christian Music Movement by Dan Lucarini. This book will undoubtedly raise many hackles, but Lucarini's direct and uncompromising style is harnessed to a gracious spirit concerned with nothing else but God's glory.This is nowhere more evident than in his warm and wise treatment of the subject of worship and ministry.
  • Willow Creek Seeker Services by G.A. Pritchard. Based on scores of interviews and extensive research, the first part of the book describes Willow Creek's efforts sto help unchurched individuals convert to the gospel through weekend seeker services. The concluding section of the book offers a theological evaluation, asking what we all can learn from the Willow Creek phenomenon.
  • Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up by David W. Bercot. The development of the church in the years after the death of the apostles is often overlooked. This book contrasts the lifestyles and perspectives of the early Christians with the lifestyles and perspective of their modern counterparts.
  • What To Say In A Whole New Way - New Words For Witnessing by Daniel W. O'Ffill. As Adventists, we know we have a message for the dying world around us. But many of us don't know what to say anymore. The "bridges" that have been so successful in reaching people in the past don't seem to work in our day. So what can we do to win hearts for Christ? In What to Say, Daniel O'Ffill and Carrol Johnson Shewmake share new words for witnessing that are touching and changing lives. Not new methods for conducting Bible studies or a new lineup of proof texts, but new words you can say in just a few minutes that can make a difference with your neighbors, friends, family, fellow workers, and even strangers. These new words for witnessing have been tried and proved. And they're easy to use! The authors will show you how they work and share conversion stories that will thrill your heart.

Books on the Christian Life

  • Christ's Object Lessons, by Ellen WhiteChrist's Object Lessons by Ellen White. An excellent treatment of the parables of Jesus. This book will touch your heart and make the stories that the Lord told speak to your life.
  • Crucifixion by Martin Hengel. The book is rewarding both for the extensive amount of historical infomation about crucifixion which it provides and for an appreciation of the stigma which would have been attached to this punishment.
  • E.M. Bounds on Prayer by E.M. Bounds.  Written in the last century by a former chaplain in the civil war this collection of books gives the true purpose of prayer in its deepest spiritual sense.
  • Expect Great Things by Richard O'Ffill. When all else fails, follow the directions. When we apply the truths of Scripture to our lives we can expect great things to happen. To obtain a copy call 1-800-765-6955.
  • If With All Your Heart by Richard O'Ffill. This fresh survey breaks new ground. Are there any magic prayers? What about the prayer of Jabez? What about exorcism? fasting? should we pray out loud? all night? should we ask for signs? expect miracles? And why does god not seem to answer?
  • Keys to the Deeper Life by A.W. Tozer. Tozer was an author who died in the 1960s. His books have the sound of a modern messenger of the Lord.
  • Lord, Keep Your Mansions. Just Save My Children by Richard O'Ffill. In this book the author shares a personal story that will bring hope and comfort to parents who have children who have turned their backs on the Lord.
  • Lord, Save My Church -Tackling the Tough Issues by Richard O'Ffill. This book offers a wide variety of talking points for biblical truth and Christian living. In a media-saturated world where it is easier to hear more about the life of Britney Spears than the life of Jesus Christ, we must confront our assumptions and prejudices in the light of the gospel. In the ninety-some brief assertions and defenses in this book you will find much to ponder.
  • Lord, Save My Family Before It Is Too Late by Richard O'Ffill. the information in this book can spell disaster for the enemy, but it may serve as a catalyst to bring revival, renewal, and reformation to your family -- beginning with you. read, pray, and take action -- before it's too late.
  • Pilgrim's Progress, by John BunyanPilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. This Christian Classic by a man who spent twelve years in prison because he would not cease to preach the gospel is one of the best known Christian works in existance.
  • Standing Firm by Richard O'Ffill. The author identifies the Trojan horses that threaten family and church today. The slavery of debt. the self-esteem movement. Unbelief. The shades-of-gray group and the if-it-isn't-broke-then-break-it crowd. The Bible taxidermists who preserve the form but deny the power.
  • Steps to Christ by Ellen White. There has probably never been written a book outside of the Holy Scripture which lends more light in a clear and down-to-earth way as does this little book. It has been distributed by the millions in dozens of languages.
  • Tranforming Prayer by Richard W. O'Ffill. In just a few words this book is not about praying to "get" but to "be".
  • The Attributes of God by A.W. Tozer. The chapters of this book were originally preached as sermons at Southside Aliance Church in Chicago. Whether spoken or written, Tozer's words were designed to "promote personal heart religion" among God's people.
  • The Best of Andrew Murray on Prayer by Andrew Murray. The author who lived in South Africa in the last century had a gift for explaining the practical aspects of the Christian life.
  • The Counselor by A.W. Tozer. A deeper understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit that goes beyond physical manifestations is greatly needed at this time. The writings of Pastor Tozer always go beyond the obvious.
  • The Greatest Thing in the World by Henry Drummond. Written in the last century by a man whose background was science you will recognize at once a scientific "spin" that gives the little book a welcome and challenging freshness.
  • The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey. Yancey offers an inspiring perspective on the life of Christ and His work-His teaching, His miracles, His death and resurrection. Relating the gospel events to the world we live in today, this book gives a moving and thoughtful portrait of the central figure of history.
  • The Kneeling Christian Author Unknown. Only in the earth made new will we learn the idenity of the person whose insights into the meaning of prayer have meant so much to so many.
  • The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer. For those who are concerned with current trends in worship this book is indespensible. Though not about the subject of worship per se, its treatment of the attributes of God form the basis for all true worship.
  • The Mind of Christ by T.W. Hunt. This book will help you understand how God works withing you and transforms you. Continually renewing and reshaping your mind to reflect more closely His own. The whole focus is on giving you ideas you can apply immediately in your life.
  • The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges. This excellent book focuses on the meaning of the new life in Christ. Godliness is the foundation upon which Christian character is built.
  • Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing by Ellen White. This little book makes the Sermon on the Mount a sermon for the twenty-first century.
  • What's So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey. In this book the author explores grace at street level. If grace is God's love for the undeserving, he asks, then what does it look like in action? And if Christians are its sole dispensers, then how are we doing at lavishing grace on a world that knows far more of cruelty and unforgiveness than it does of mercy?
  • With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray. Someone has written "I encourage you to saturate yourself in this timeless classic and learn how you can prepare yourself for effective participation in the highest calling Christ has given the Church - the call to intercessory prayer."

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