2023 – Biblical Economics – A Biblical approach to personal finance grounded in the economic theology of the Puritans. Goes over important concepts like providence, callings, worldly-mindedness, increasing income, budgeting, saving money, investing, financial lifestyles, and giving to the poor. 370 pages.
Biblical Economics is a monumental book. The author has packed so much into its pages that it is more like an encyclopedia than a book. In fact, I think of it as library on the subjects of (1) what the Bible says about work and money, (2) what the Protestant/Puritan tradition has said about work and money, and (3) what a Christian needs to know about the contemporary financial scene. For anyone seeking information and edification on these subjects, Biblical Economics is a one-stop destination. – Dr. Leland Ryken, author of Worldly Saints and Redeeming the Time
The Bible offers ample advice on the right way to earn, spend, and save money. But you need to know where to look for it. John is an expert guide who knows how timeless advice can be put to work in our everyday here and now. – Dr. Benedikt Koehler, Fellow of the Economics of Religion, Institute of Economic Affairs
2022 – John Wesley on Money – Reviews of five sermons on Wesley’s financial ethics. Mainly focused on avoiding luxury, remembering God in our economic activities, and setting aside a benevolence fund for the poor, widows, and orphans. Also clears up what the Bible means by the rich and their riches; and the spiritual danger that those people are in. Materialism, hedonism, and snobbery are shot down as great economic vices and hindrances for the Christian’s spiritual life. A nice soul-cleansing antidote for the poison of the prosperity gospel. 119 pages.
This little book is a keeper; and you will repeatedly be tempted to skip the Wesley sermon; and skip directly to the discussion group! I thoroughly enjoyed this! – Dr. Keith Drury, Professor of Religion Emeritus, Indiana Wesleyan University
For our day, when economic issues seem to dominate almost every aspect of life, it is especially timely to hear from John Wesley on money, the poor, luxury, pride in wealth, poverty, and other related questions. In this book John has reprinted five of Wesley’s characteristically biblical, sensible, and perceptive sermons on these subjects. His helpful historical introductions and his careful theological discussion of the sermons make them a spiritual treasure for considering the “treasures” of this life. – Dr. Mark Noll, author of The Rise of Evangelicalism: The Age of Edwards, Whitefield, and the Wesleys
2022 – Nurture and Admonition – The Biblical responsibilities of Christian parenting from commentaries on Ephesians 6:4: from the time of the church fathers to the Puritans. Also some examples of bad parenting to avoid. 65 pages.
2021 – My Walk with Jesus – From when I was a little kid until now–this is an experiential and theological autobiography. The testimony of my conversion; and occasions of revelations, miracles, and other divine interventions in my life so far. I pray it serves as an encouragement to normal Pentecostals trying to live for Jesus. 86 pages.
2021 – Supernatural Lights – This is mainly a study of angelic lights, but also takes a look at the shekinah glory of God and demonic lights, for the sake of spiritual discernment. Today, many charismatics and New Agers are seeing supernatural lights; and its important to know how to interpret and respond to them. 37 pages.
2019 – Miracles Are for Today! – This is a refutation of B. B. Warfield’s Counterfeit Miracles. It shows that cessationism has its origins with Enlightenment rationalism; and answers Warfield’s doubts about Scripture, his rejection of miracles in church history, and his cessationist opinions. 68 pages.
An analysis of one of the most influential theologians when it comes to cessationism: B. B. Warfield. While there are sometimes many factors that play a part in determining why a person reaches the conclusions that they do, this explores the impact that Warfield’s studies in higher criticism may have had in influencing his cessationism. This work is an aid to any student interested in answering the question of whether miracles still happen. – Daniel Jennings, author of The Supernatural Occurrences of John Wesley
2018 – Pastoral Abuse – Twenty warnings against the spiritual abuses often found in authoritarian churches: power trips, one-upmanship, anti-intellectualism, carnality, false counseling, unquestioning obedience, financial control, the abuse of Hell, the Pharisaical spirit, etc. 39 pages.
2015 – The Gospel of Jesus Christ – A Wesleyan approach to soteriology. Presents the order of salvation from Hell, repentance, faith, justification, regeneration, sanctification, conditional security, and Heaven. Also, a response to non-judgmentalism. Extensive bibliography. Intended as preparatory study for evangelistic preaching. 170 pages. Get the paperback here.
2012 – How to Experience God – Charismatic theology of worship, meditation, contemplation, spiritual experiences, spiritual discernment, resisting the New Age and the occult, the history of charismatic Christianity, and defending the practice of contemplative prayer. Extensive bibliography on miraculous gifts. 397 pages.
2010 – Portraits of Antichrists – Intertestamental and early church views of the Antichrist: signs of what kind of a person he will be. 33 pages.
OTHERS
2010 – The A to Z of the Holiness Movement edited by William Kostlevy – This is the most historically comprehensive holiness encyclopedia I’ve seen. Everyone from Wesley to Ravenhill. 379 pages.
2005 –The Supernatural Occurrences of John Wesley by Daniel Jennings – John Wesley (d. 1791), the founder of the Methodist Church, innovator of Wesleyan Arminian theology, and trainer of an army of street preachers, was a full blown prophet. Although he humbly declined any “claims to the miraculous gifts”; it is clear from his life that he experienced almost every kind of supernatural experience possible:–except for speaking in tongues. This book catalogs his experiences with spiritual warfare, miraculous healing, prophetic dreams and visions, trances in the Spirit, angels, holy laughter, the gift of prophecy, physical manifestations of the Holy Spirit, prayer for nature miracles, etc. This should be an essential resource for anyone serious about the study of miraculous gifts for Pentecostals and charismatics today. 230 pages.
2001 – The Evolution Cruncher by Vance Ferrell – Probably the most heavily documented refutation of evolution “evidences” from a young earth creationist point of view. 929 pages.
1977 – New Wine Magazine 9:1 “Prophecy” Issue edited by Don Basham – With articles on “What Is a Prophet?” by Bruce Yocum (p. 4), “Levels of Prophecy” by Bob Mumford (p. 10), “Stepping Out in Prophecy” by Don Basham (p. 20), “Questions and Answers: Prophecy” by Don Basham and Ern Baxter (p. 29), etc. 32 pages.
1968 – Spiritual Gifts and Their Operation by Howard Carter – This is a standard Assemblies of God text on the miraculous gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. One thing to note is that Carter was the first influential AG theologian to teach that the word of knowledge is supernatural information from the Holy Spirit about people and places (comparable to the idea of extrasensory perception or ESP, ch. 3), and that it is not simply a profound insight derived from Bible study. The same views are expressed in his Questions and Answers on Spiritual Gifts (1946). Carter’s overtly supernatural view of the word of knowledge differed from other AG leaders, who held it to be a talent for Bible study, as in Donald Gee’s Concerning Spiritual Gifts and Smith Wigglesworth’s Ever-Increasing Faith. Most of the Latter Rain preachers in the 1950’s healing revival held to Carter’s extrasensory view of the word of knowledge, as in Gordon Lindsay’s Commissioned with Power; and most charismatic ministers today who operate in prophetic ministry generally understand the word of knowledge to be a “revelational gift” of supernaturally imparted extrasensory perception from the Holy Spirit, revealing specific facts and information about people’s lives in church services, such as undisclosed sicknesses, which then prompt miraculous faith to be healed. These views were later reflected in Lester Sumrall’s The Gifts and Ministries of the Holy Spirit and Derek Prince’s The Gifts of the Spirit. 94 pages.
1903 – A Manual of Mystical Theology by Arthur Devine – Along with Augustin Poulain’s The Graces of Interior Prayer, this is considered one of the most authoritative works on Roman Catholic mystical theology, or charismatic theology, ever written. I prefer this to Poulain though, because it quotes the Bible more often. It is very experiential. Deals with contemplation, mortification, spiritual experiences, ecstasies, visions, voices, prophecies, miracles, and discernment. Protestants will find certain Catholic things objectionable, but still find some value in the study. It would be a good supplement to the Vineyard-esque theology in Jack Deere’s Surprised by the Voice of God and the Assemblies of God’s classic treatment on miraculous gifts: Donald Gee’s Concerning Spiritual Gifts. An additional balancing factor would be to study these along with Vladimir Lossky’s The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church and The Vision of God, which systematizes the views of the Russian Orthodox Church, coming from the Desert Fathers and the Philokalia. Lossky also explains the difference between Neoplatonism and Christian mysticism. 664 pages.
1892 – Open-Air Preaching by Edwin Hallock Byington – Sketches the history and logic of open air preaching in spreading the Gospel. People like John Bunyan, George Whitefield, John Wesley, and others are referred to. 104 pages.
1887 – Antinomianism Revived by Daniel Steele – A Methodist theologian debunks the antinomian theology of the Plymouth Brethren. Especially valuable is his expose of the antinomian view of the atonement and how it is tied to the Calvinistic doctrine of predestination. 266 pages.
1885 – The Doctrine of Endless Punishment by William G. T. Shedd – Possibly the best theological book about the doctrine of Hell ever written. 163 pages.
1882 – The Ministry of Healing by A. J. Gordon – A foundational study of divine healing based on Scripture, church history, reason, and personal experience. 236 pages.
1849 – Objections to Calvinism As It Is by Randolph Foster – A classic rebuttal of the five points of Calvinism, including “once saved, always saved” in chapter 6. The “old school” Methodist view. 322 pages.
1835 – Christian Theology by Adam Clarke – The best summary of early Methodist theology I know of. Great for catechizing children, and getting them to focus on ethical matters of the heart, rather than just religious facts. Also great for devotional study and preparation for preaching. 493 pages.
1832 – The Suppressed Evidence by Thomas Boys – A theological and historical survey of miraculous gifts among the Protestant reformers! Sketches the history of various reformed charismatic movements, marking the inner circles of Peter Waldo, Jan Hus, Martin Luther, John Knox, Nicolaus Zinzendorf, etc, all of whom were forerunners to John Wesley and the early Methodists. 360 pages.
1750 – A Vindication of the Miraculous Powers by Thomas Church – An 18th century charismatic theology book by an Anglican priest; argues against the cessationist book A Free Inquiry by Conyers Middleton. Was to the 1700s what Jack Deere’s Surprised by the Power of the Spirit is today. 383 pages.
1691 – The Certainty of the World of Spirits by Richard Baxter – This is a book on demons, spiritual warfare, and deliverance; the Christian response to occult manifestations of ghosts and evil spirits. 268 pages.
1690 – The Scripture Gospel Defended by Richard Baxter – A Puritan defense of orthodox Anglican soteriology and Arminian gospel preaching, against the antinomianism of the day. It even called John Bunyan an Antinomian-Anabaptist (p. 49). 248 pages.
1689 – A Sure Guide to Heaven by Joseph Alleine – This powerful evangelistic book influenced John Wesley, George Whitefield, and Charles Spurgeon. The author was a Puritan and street preaching friend of John Westley, the grandpa of Wesley. Truly this is a Wesley Gospel. 220 pages.
1577 – The Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila – The full spectrum of mystical experiences are laid out very clearly here. It is very helpful as a guide to prayer as well as interior spiritual experiences, both overtly supernatural ones, and those which are much more subtle. It is Catholic, so try to take what is good and ignore what is non-Biblical. 272 pages.
1394 – The Scale of Perfection by Walter Hilton – Out of all of the classic works on contemplative prayer, this one has the most Scripture quoted in it that I have found to date. 195 pages.
429 – The Conferences by John Cassian – Practical, ascetic, and mystical theology distilled from conversations with the Desert Fathers; influenced St. Benedict. 698 pages.
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