The Most Influential Books in My Life

In my previous article, Those Who Have Most Influenced My Life, I shared with you who the people are that have most profoundly impacted my life. Today I want to share with you which books have had the greatest impact upon me.

Of course, the first and foremost book that's transformed me is the Holy Bible, God's Word. It was through a quest for truth in the Bible that I came to know Christ. A friend challenged me to blow the dust off my Bible and begin reading it. But he challenged me to pray before reading it and ask God to show me the whole truth and nothing but the truth. That soon led to my salvation, which I have documented in The Truth Set Me Free! Let me challenge you to do the same. Read you Bible and before you do, pray and ask God to reveal the whole truth to you and nothing but the truth. Ask Him to speak to you and reveal Himself to you. I assure you that He will do so, if you seek Him sincerely with all your heart. I would encourage you to begin with the New Testament, especially the gospel of John.

But aside from the Bible, there are other books that have impacted my life in one way or another. These include the following:

Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
John Bunyan: Author of The Pilgrim's Progress by Sam Wellman
Smith Wigglesworth: Apostle of Faith by Stanley Howard Frodsham
Baptize by Blazing Fire by Yong Doo Kim
The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Heroes of the Faith: Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Michael Van Dyke
Yes, Lord! by Harald Bredesen
Release of the Spirit by Watchman Nee
The Doulos Principle: Called to be God's Slaves by James Walker Garrett
Angels on Assignment by Charles and Frances Hunter
Hudson Taylor: Deep in the Heart of China by Janet and Geoff Benge
Adoniram Judson: Bound for Burma by Janet and Geoff Benge
Healing the Sick by T.L. Osborn
Power Through Prayer by E.M. Bounds
Rees Howells: Intercessor by Norman Grubb
John Wesley: The Great Methodist by Sam Wellman
The Obedience of Faith by Mary Campbell Wilson
John Newton: Author of "Amazing Grace" by Anne Sandberg
Samuel Morris: The Apostle of Simple Faith by W. Terry Whalin
David Livingstone: Africa's Trailblazer by Janet and Geoff Benge
John and Betty Stam: Missionary Martyrs by Vance Christie
George Muller: Man of Faith by Bonnie Harvey
Set the Trumpet to Thy Mouth by David Wilkerson
Only Love Can Make a Miracle by Mahesh Chavda
John Williams: Messenger of Peace by Janet and Geoff Benge
Sundar Singh: Footprints over the Mountains by Janet and Geoff Benge
The Heavens Opened by Anna Rountree
The Priestly Bride by Anna Rountree
Foxe's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe

He Came to Set the Captives Free by Dr. Rebecca Brown Yoder, MD.

Some other books that I enjoyed, which I recommend are:

A Plain Account of Christian Perfection by John Wesley
Visions Beyond the Veil by H.A. Baker
Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard
Ida Scudder: Healing Bodies, Touching Hearts by Janet and Geoff Benge

What I have found is that in many cases the biographies of some people have affected me much more than the books they themselves have written, as you might have noticed in this list. This goes to show that the way people live their lives can have just as great or greater impact on others than even their writings. If you are looking for a good book to read, I can recommend to you the ones I have listed above, and I don't think you will be disappointed.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Those Who Have Most Influenced My Life and The Truth Set Me Free! You may access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He has been based in Eastern Europe, helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. He is currently on furlough, off the field, praying and seeking the Lord's guidance regarding where to be, and for the provision to fulfill the mission. www.dmiworld.org. 

Those Who Have Most Influenced My Life

Consider how a single water droplet can have a far-reaching effect as its ripples extend out in concentric circles from the point of impact, touching much more than just the center location where the droplet landed. Consider also how one life can affect so many others, even generations later! I am going to share with you the people that have most profoundly affected me.

The absolutely most influential person in my entire life is the Lord Jesus Christ. He took my lowly life, so marred by sin and shame, and radically transformed me into a child of the living God. He set me free from sin and gave me a new life. He is the reason for the love, joy, and peace I have come to know, since He came to live inside my heart over thirty one years ago.

Aside from the Lord, His life and teachings, and His ongoing daily influence in my life, which are all primary factors shaping my life, there are others in the Bible who have had and continue to have a great impact upon me. These include the apostle Paul, the apostle John, the apostle Peter, James and Jude the brothers of Jesus, King David, King Solomon, the prophets Samuel, Elijah, Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, Elisha, the three Hebrew young men Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, as well as the patriarchs Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, and Caleb.

My life and ministry have also been influenced the most by the following people outside the Bible, beginning with the ones who have had the greatest impact: John Wesley, Leonard Ravenhill, David Wilkerson, Keith Green, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Smith Wigglesworth, Derek Prince, John Bunyan, Matthew Henry, Rees Howells, Yong Doo Kim, Harald Bredesen, Charles and Frances Hunter, Benjamin Crandall, Jim Cymbala, Roland Buck, Freddy Clark, Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, Martin Luther, Corrie Ten Boom, her sister Betsy, Watchman Nee, John Wimber, and Neville Johnson.

Other notable people who have to a lesser degree inspired or influenced me include: William Carey, E.M. Bounds, Sundar Singh, William J. Seymour, T.L. Osborne, Dumitru Duduman, Oden Hetrick, Henry Gruver, John G. Lake, Frank Bartleman, John and Betty Stam, A.W. Tozer, D.L. Moody, John Newton, John Williams, Samuel Morris, David Livingstone, George Muller, and Polycarp.

These are the people who have helped to shape who I am today and what my ministry is. Now consider how your life could impact others around you and throughout the world.

Next I will share with you the books that have most influenced my life.

Attribution Notice: The image showing the ripple effect of one water droplet is used according to the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note: I do not necessarily endorse every single teaching or belief of the people listed above, who influenced my life. I may differ on certain key points of theology, but they have nonetheless influenced me. If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy The Truth Set Me Free! You may access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."   

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He has been based in Eastern Europe, helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. He is currently on furlough, off the field, praying and seeking the Lord's guidance regarding where to be, and for the provision to fulfill the mission. www.dmiworld.org.

Old News That's Still Fresh - December 2011

For those of you who are following this blog, I'd like to tell you about some of the latest blogs I've posted on Writing for the Master.

Do you want to Be a Star for Jesus?  I do.  Find out what that means and how you can shine forever.

Williams Carey was an English missionary who made a tremendous sacrifice to reach India with the gospel.  In Candle in the Dark, I show how his pioneer work made a tremendous impact on India for Christ that is still evident today. This will encourage and inspire you in your service to Christ.

I stand in awe of the broad International Impact of Pentecost on that first day when the gift of the Holy Spirit was given.  Even to this day the impact of it can be seen in the world! According to a recent global study, Pentecostals and charismatics are the fastest growing form of Christianity today, reaching the sick and poor with the power of the gospel.

Many preachers today aspire to one day lead a mega-church with a congregation consisting of thousands of worshipers.  Should we expect the gospel to become so wildly popular in one community and remain that way over the long term? In my study on the Popularity of the Gospel, I examine whether this phenomenon is biblical.

In every part of the world today, people are feeling the impact of "the crisis" and talking about it.  There is a sense of despair and hopelessness.  But God's Supernatural Hand During Crisis will encourage and edify you, by showing from Scripture how the Lord cares for us in these hard times.

Jesus said that only One Thing is needed.  This blog explores what that is, according to Scripture.

Success is practically an idol today.  There are books and videos on how to achieve it, but very few are telling the truth.  Success in God's Eyes teaches us how the Bible defines it, and how we can attain to this worthy goal.

In the church today, we see widespread mixture and compromise.  Worldliness is accepted, and many assume that so-called believers in Jesus who live this way are going to heaven. Holy Living in a Perverted World examines this trend and shows what the Bible says about it.

If there were gaps in Scripture, it could affect your understanding of God, history, and how he expects us to live.  In this post, I explore the topic from Scripture, and show how we can properly understand any large periods of time that are left unexplained in certain passages.

I gave a testimony of how a young girl was recently Healed from a Breathing Obstruction by Jesus, and has not had a a problem since. This will encourage your faith and help you trust God for your own healing or that of your loved one.

The Ongoing Earthly Ministry of Jesus examines the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus up to His ascension and beyond -- even to this day. Don't miss the videos at the end of the post that report on Jesus' recent appearances to people in countries that are closed to the gospel.

A young lady from Ecuador and her family have testified that she died, and Jesus showed her heaven and hell. She has a message for the world that she claims Jesus gave her in the fiery depths, and she proclaims it boldly.  In Angelica Zambrano Hell and Heaven, I comment on this compelling story and provide a video link, so you can see it for yourself.  You will not be able to remain neutral when you see it.

It's common today for churches to have forms of godliness that deny the power of God.  One of those is in their forms of government, which use biblical terms for unbiblical practices.  I discuss the Shepherding Role of Elders according to Scripture, and explain how that is practiced in every day life.

These are just a few of my most recent posts.  I hope you will take time to look at them, and I pray they will be a great encouragement to you.  If they are, please share them with people you care about by sending them the links.  

If you have been blessed by Doulos Missions International and want to sow a financial seed into our ministry, you can safely and conveniently sow your seed online. You can give securely online here.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.