The Pilgrim's Progress
by John Bunyan

The Pilgrim's Progress is one of my favorite books and was originally written by a 17th-century Puritan, John Bunyan, from his cell prison in a trying time of persecution. Rich in Biblical theology, it is the best-known and well-loved allegory of every Christian's life journey. It tells the story of a pilgrim named Christian as he walked a journey from the City of Destruction (where he lived before his conversion) to the Celestial City (an allegory of heaven), sharing with us the many challenges, obstacles, comfort, and encouragement Christian encountered in his long journey. This book reminds me that I, too, am walking in a similar spiritual journey as Christian did.

There are many things in the story I can relate with. In the beginning we see how the pilgrim bore a heavy burden on his back and met a man named Evangelist (who shared with him of the only One who can lift off this burden). This allegory teaches us the Biblical truth that we, too, have carried an overwhelming burden (the corruption and guilt of our sin) which we cannot relieve ourselves from by our own strength, but can only be lifted off by none other than the Savior Himself. When I read of Christian passing through the Valley of Humiliation or falling into the Swamp of Despondence, I'm reminded of those times when I, too, was in such a swamp or valley and how God graciously used those trials to humble, comfort, and rescued me.

But most important of all, this book encourages me with the Biblical promise that regardless of what deep valleys I may be in, whatever swamps I slip into, whatever rivers to ford, whatever rough roads I tread, or whichever steep hills I may be climbing in my life journey ... my Guide is ever watchful, my Deliverer unfailing, and He is indeed faithful in keeping and persevering all of His elect till they arrive at their final destination: the Celestial City -- that glorious, everlasting City (so different than one I've travelled from) and "built not by the hands of man." Every other Christian can learn and be encouraged from Biblical doctrines taught through the pilgrim story.

The Evil of Evils
by Jeremiah Burroughs

Most people will do all they can to avoid affliction, but do very little to avoid sin. The one recurring theme of this book: it is better to choose affliction than sin. As Burroughs expounds godly wisdom from Scripture, he shows us why nothing is to be more feared than sin, nothing is to be more avoided than sin, and nothing is to be more hated than sin.

He effectively shows that sin is the greatest "evil of evils" by exposing the nature of sin: so opposite to God, wrongs and offends God, most opposite to man's good (and more opposite to man's good than affliction is), takes away excellencies in all things, of the same nature as the devil, a furtherance of the devil's work, fullfills the devil's will, makes man conformable to the devil, etc. Along with pungent analogies, Burroughs opens our eyes to see the ugly heinous nature of sin and exposes sin for what it truly is, so that we may once again have a dread of sin, a hatred for sin, and a love for holiness.

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
by Jeremiah Burroughs

This book, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, is a classic and "rare jewel" itself (especially for our time). It provides a wonderful "treatment" on the subject of contentment based on Paul's words in Philippians 4:11, "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Burroughs explains the nature of Christian contentment (what it is), the art and mystery of it, the excellence of it, the evils of a murmuring spirit, why we are to be content, what lessons must be learned to bring the heart to contentment, how Christ teaches contentment, and directions for us to attain contentment.

Disciplines of a Godly Woman
by Barbara Hughes

Discipline. The word causes many of us to recoil, because it seems so difficult and challenging. But this book did encourage and inspire me. The apostle Paul encourages us to "discipline yourselves for the purpose of godliness" (1 Tim. 7:4-8). I'm learning through the book that the disciplines of a godly woman is about submitting every single area of her life to God. It's about bringing our will in submission to God's will and surrendering every single area of our life to His lordship. This book shows us how to train our spiritual muscles through the spiritual disciplines of submission, prayer, worship, mind, contentment, propriety, perseverance, church, singleness (for those who're single), marriage (to the married), nurturing, good deeds, witness, and giving.

One of my favorite chapters is on the discipline of the mind. It exhorts us to "be transformed by the renewing of our mind" (Rom. 12:1-2). Barbara Hughes emphasizes the importance of programming our mind by the regular reading of God's word so that as we begin to think God's thoughts after Him, they become the dominant influence in our mind and heart.

The author provides practical steps and suggestions how we can put the disciplines into action, and real-life stories of disciplined godly women in action. I found those real-life examples inspiring. I also appreciate the author's understanding of the Scripture and am grateful for her God-given gift of exhortation. She seems to really understand the common "struggles" or obstacles which we may go through in our practice of godliness and offers some helpful suggestions to overcome them.

I love the "Resources" section at the end of the book. It's designed to be helpful in exercising the disciplines, which includes: A daily Bible-reading plan, a list of praise Psalms for devotional time, a recommended reading list of book titles (from different genres like Christian classics, devotional, theology, biographies, fiction, etc.). There's also a page titled "Opportunities For Good Deeds," which lists suggestions, ministries, and ideas for women to get involved and invest in others' lives. This is a book not only on the "what" and "why" of spiritual disciplines, but also the "how".

The Holiness of God
by R.C. Sproul

This is a "one sitting" book that kept me turning the pages until wee hours of the morning. Few authors possess the keen ability to help readers come into a grasp of the nature of God's holiness; but in this book Dr. Sproul (along with his wits and unique sense of humor) is able to poignantly do that, transporting the reader into the awesome presence of God.

We often hear many talk about how God is love, yet why do few ever speak of His holiness and justice? The Holiness of God reminds me yet again that my salvation (through Christ's propitiatory death) is an act of mercy and grace by God (not an obligation), since His absolute holiness demands only justice for my sins. Dr. Sproul helps readers dig deeper beneath a superficial surface of what it means that God is holy -- bringing us into a deeper understanding and love of who God is, a greater awe for His absolute holiness, and a state of reverence in worship. As Jonathan Edwards, the famous Reformed preacher, once wrote: "A true love of God must begin with a delight in his holiness, and not with a delight in any other attribute; for no other attribute is truly lovely without this."

One of my favorite chapters has an intriguing title: "The Trauma of Holiness." Why and how does holiness invoke trauma? Many other religions have invented god(s) who brought only comfort. Even Sigmund Freud espoused the theory that people invent "god(s)" to help them deal with scary things, to serve as a "crutch," so to speak. But in this book, Sproul draws a contrast by demonstrating how the one and only true God has certain characteristics distinct from those that would normally be attributed by the common man. Our true God possesses a uniqueness (an awesome "otherness"). When Jesus miraculously calmed the storm in the Sea of Galilee, the disciples felt uncomfortable and terrified (yes, terrified) upon realizing that they, in their sinfulness, were in the presence of the Holy One. What a contrast to popular man-made ideas of God invented only to bring comfort.

This book helps us better see the God who is -- who not only brings comfort in time of need, invokes adoration and praise, but also in whose Holy presence drives us to our knees in reverential worship.

Spurgeon's Sermons
by Charles H. Spurgeon

This set is a wonderful collection of sermons in five double volumes (originally published in 10 volumes) by the 19th-century "Prince of Preachers" (oh, that we had a dozen like him today!). It is a wonderful investment to encourage my spiritual walk. Besides his humor, wit, and genius in preaching, I love Spurgeon's ability to use real-life concrete examples to explain the complex truths of Scripture in a way that his laymen audience could easily understand, yet without compromising the richness and depth thereof. He is theological yet practical at the same time. His diction and delivery are always inspirational; they enhance the beauty and force of his messages.

The wonderful thing about this particular set of sermons is they are purely of Spurgeon and aren't watered down. The sermons are unedited (unlike some of his other works that have been revised or edited by some publishers) and thus written in older English language. There are plenty of sermons here to occupy the interested reader in godly thought and reflections.

In light of the set's size as a whole, there is a list of "index to subjects" (located at the end of the last volume) helpful in quickly looking up sermons on a particular subject, as well as an "index to Scripture texts" for those who wish to look up expositional sermons on a specific passage of the Bible.

The Godly Man's Picture
by Thomas Watson

With his ability to combine sound doctrine, practical wisdom, and effective illustrations, Watson draws with "a Scripture pencil" a portrait of the godly Christian. He communicates in a pleasant and easy to understand style, making him rightly regarded as the most readable of the Puritans. This book applies to both man and woman, as "man" in the title can be used in a generic sense. Watson shows the characteristic marks of a godly person, explains what each trait means and why it is crucial, and exhorts us on how to apply each in different areas of our life. He also prescribes some helps and counsel to persevere in godliness.

The Roman Catholic Controversy
by James R. White

Do doctrinal differences between Roman Catholics and evangelicals matter? This book shows it matters by showing that the gospel as taught by the official Roman Catholic church is not the same Gospel taught in the pages of Holy Scripture. It is an excellent introduction to the Roman Catholic-Protestant debate and a good resource for laymen. Dr. James R. White is a profound author, gifted debater, and effective communicator with a love for God's truth. He's debated numerous leading Roman Catholic apologists over the years and is well-informed of the issues and views of both sides. This book is a careful look at the current issues of tradition and scripture, "sola scriptura," the papacy, purgatory, indulgences, Marian doctrine (e.g. immaculate conception, "latria," "dulia," etc.) and most importantly, the heart of the Gospel itself (how one is declared righteous in God's sight).

This book is not based on mere "feel good, warm, fuzzy" theology, but presents the Biblical arguments well. Many Roman Catholics claim the modern Roman Catholic church today is still the same true apostolic church that was founded by Christ 2,000 years ago. But do her teachings, as she stands today, pass the test of Scripture? Or has there been an evolution in her doctrines throughout the years? Dr. White carefully quotes official Roman Catholic church documents, well-versed Roman Catholic theologians, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and other ecumenical Councils. But most importantly, he quotes Biblical passages for each topic at hand so the reader can compare and hence discern which views (the Roman Catholic's or evangelical's?) is in accord with the Scripture.

One of my favorite chapters in the book is on justification, where Dr. White beautifully and clearly explains the Biblical teaching of how one -- who is inherently unrighteous -- is declared righteous positionally in Christ. He illustrates that one day the Christian will be able to stand justified before the judgment throne of God -- clothed not in his own supposed "righteousness," but rather in the pure spotless garments of Christ's righteousness alone. Our sins have been imputed and placed upon Christ on the cross; and in return, His righteousness are imputed (credited) to us by faith (Phil. 3:9; 2 Cor. 5:21). And while he emphasizes the biblical teaching of salvation by faith alone, Dr. White neither denies nor downplays the role and importance of good works in a believer's life (contrary to a previous Roman Catholic reviewer who erroneously accused Dr. White of doing so). In fact, as Dr. White would aptly put it: Faith alone saves, but a saving (not dead) faith is never alone -- it always produces good works!

This was really the first book that helped me to understand better the true Gospel, the nature of saving grace, my utter hopelessness & helplessness apart from God's unmerited saving grace, and the importance of relying upon Scripture alone as the infallible & sufficient source of truth on matters of faith and life.

I highly recommend this book for both Roman Catholics as well as evangelicals. One would be able to understand better "what" the doctrinal differences are between the two sides and also "why".

Her Hand in Marriage: Biblical Courtship in the Modern World
by Douglas Wilson

This book provides helpful insight into a godly way of courtship in the modern world. At a mere 95 pages, it is a relatively thin book but the size is deceiving because Wilson is a skilled writer who wastes no word. He shares godly advices on: preparing for courtship, qualities to consider in a mate, things to consider that would affect the relationship in marriage, criteria and principles of courtship, the parents' authority, etc.

The appendix titled "The Garden" (a story of a girl "tending her own garden") is brilliantly written! It is an allegory that powerfully illustrates the virtue of purity and compellingly encourages readers to keep themselves pure prior to marriage.

Some may believe not everything in this book is practical especially if the parents are non-Christians or perhaps refuse to participate). While that may be true, I think the main thrust and focus of this book should really be more on principles rather than following a one-size-fits-all method of application, and as such there's much that can be gleaned from the book.

[Please note this review reflects my opinions only toward this book, and not my agreement with the author's controversial views on theological issues like "baptismal regeneration," "federal vision," etc.]