Top Christian Biographies That Will Change Your Life
After the Bible, these are a list of books that shook the core of my being after I read them. If you are a true believer, which I hope you are, these books will shift your perspective and challenge you to live a radical lifestyle for Jesus. These titles are a MUST read for anyone who is of the household of faith. Are you ready for these titles?
1. Living a Life of Fire: An Autobiography: Reinhard Bonnke
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This is literally my favorite book after the Bible. It impacted me to become an evangelist. I remember how Slaveck Moraru suggested this book to me after one of the church services. He told me that I will cry and laugh reading this book, and my interest was peaked. I downloaded the book on Audible and started listening to it. I was hooked from the very beginning. As the story unfolded it was hard to turn off as I listened in my car because I wanted to hear what's next.
This story is the autobiography of evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, and his journey with God. Bonnke tells how Jesus came into their family, through a missionary lost in Germany. Before World War II, the missionary reached a village and asked if anyone was sick. The locals told him to be silent and listen. He heard the wailing of Reinhard Bonnke's grandfather as he lay there in pain. That night the Holy Spirit healed him through the missionary. It was how Jesus had entered the Bonnke family. Later in his ministry, Reinhard Bonnke sailed to Africa to preach the gospel. He ended up leading millions of men and women to Christ through his great gospel crusades all over the world, especially in Africa.
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2. The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun
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This book was introduced to me as an exciting story during a hike with a friend. As I listened, I marveled at the things the Holy Spirit had done through a little boy named Yun who became a Christian in China.
Yun's father was healed when the family asked Jesus to help them. After the hearing, the whole family was saved. As a teenager, Yun prayed for a Bible and believed God for many months until He saw a dream from God. In the dream, the Lord showed him, two men, with a loaf of bread approaching him. When Yun woke up in the middle of the night he heard a knock on the door. Those two same men from the dream handed the young boy a bible and walked away into the pitch darkness of the night. Yun started to preach the gospel from then on around China. When he became a leader in the underground church of China he was severely tortured for Christ. This intense biography will keep you on the edge of your seat as you read Brother Yun's book: The Heavenly Man.
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3. The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson
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This was a simple read but a powerful read of the great preacher, pastor, and evangelist David Wilkerson. I discovered this book with a quick search on Google for Christian biographies.
I've heard about Wilkerson very often, my family listens to his preaching and my church highly respects him, but I was not his biggest fan until I listened to his autobiography. I started to honor this man after finishing the book because of the work had done for the Lord. Wilkerson followed the voice of the Holy Spirit even if it looked foolish. He was obedient to God, and the result was that many teenagers of New York were saved.
Wilkerson started working with boys and girls of New York who were on drugs, in gangs, and who were simply lonely. The first encounter to preach to these teenagers went not as planned, because Wilkerson's team rented an auditorium that could seat 7,000 people, yet around100 kids showed up. Wilkerson didn't give up, the results of the last night of the meetings a few gang leaders gave their life to Christ. One of these leaders was Nicky Cruz. I have heard Cruz has a great autobiography as well called "Run, Baby, Run," which I am yet to read. You can listen to "The Cross and the Switchblade" by audiobook on YouTube, Audible, or read it in print.
YouTube - Audiobook
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4. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity by Nabeel Qureshi
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I did a video review of this biography on YouTube which you can watch here. The book was recommended to me by someone on Facebook, whom I never met in person. They told me it is a must-read book for me. At first, I did not want to take their advice, but then I finally ordered a hard copy. I tried reading the physical copy and listening to the audiobook, but I then switched completely to the audiobook for it was much easier simply to listen to it. Just a tip from me, listening to biographies compared to informational books is entertaining, and you catch the subject the author is speaking about because you get hooked right into the story.
The book Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus is an autobiography and a teaching at the same time. Qureshi tells his story of how he grew up a devout Muslim. In high school, he became friends with a Christian young man named David Wood, and they started having debates about who's religion was correct. Little by little Qureshi started believing that Jesus really existed, then that He died on the cross, and later that He rose from the dead. Further in the book, Qureshi believed that Jesus was divine and was God Himself. When Qureshi asked God for a dream the Lord showed him one vision, three dreams that followed. He finally decided to surrender his life to Christ and became a Christian.
If you have a desire to work among Muslims or are working with them now this is a great book to read to get insights you'd get nowhere else. You will be introduced to the position of Muslims, and why they think the way they do. This is a highly recommended book, and I will suggest to start reading it as soon as possible.
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5. Why God Used D.L. Moody by R.A. Torrey
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This is the least popular book on my list but is still exciting and fresh in my memory. This is an actual biography because it was written by R.A. Torrey, the others on the list are autobiographies (meaning they were written by the author). R.A. Torrey was a close friend of Moody's and became the president of Moody Bible college after Moody went to be with the Lord. It's a very short book, and you can probably finish it in one sitting.
Torrey describes why God Used D.L. Moody. One of the reasons God used Moody was because he walked in humility. He wasn't afraid of what others thought of him. I recall one of the stories of how Moody would talk to at least one person about their soul daily. One night as he was going to bed, he remembered that he spoke to no one about their soul. He quickly dressed up and opened his front house door. A man was walking by in the heavy rain under an umbrella. Moody quickly jumped at the opportunity and joined the man under the umbrella. "May I share the umbrella with you?" he asked. Moody then preached Christ to him, and the gentleman became a Christian.
This book is a short read, yet it's filled with the adventure and faith of Dwight L. Moody from the 19th century. Get it now and start reading on your phone or PC in Kindle format. You can also find a PDF on the internet of this book.
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6. Good Morning, Holy Spirit by Benny Hinn
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A book that influenced me to spend more time with the Lord was "Good Morning, Holy Spirit" by Benny Hinn. The author tells of a supernatural miracle of how he was born. Hinn's mother wanted to have a child, so she pleaded with God for one, promising that the child would be dedicated back to the Lord. She had a dream where Jesus gave her multiple roses, and Jesus asked for one back. The roses represented the number of children she would bear. Of course, she gave Jesus one rose, and that's how Hinn was born. His mother later dedicated him to a Catholic school, then soon after he encountered the Holy Spirit and became Spirit-filled at a Katherine Coulman meeting.
The book includes Hinn's personal testimony along with teachings of communion with the Holy Spirit. I can say with certainty that you will desire to know more deeply the third person of the Godhead after you finish reading. It's action-packed and filled with wonderful miracles that will get your faith stirred. Get this book directly from Benny Hinn's site or get the audiobook on audible.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, I highly recommend reading the biographies listen above as soon as you can, because you will be marked to serve God in a radical way, and changed to know Christ more. You may get the books in print or audio format with the links provided. After reading them you will be more in love with God and in awe of His wonderful miracles. I imagine it as the continuation of the book of Acts. We may not see these authors in person, but we can learn from their stories. It's like reliving the past all over again. You'll desire more of these testimonies of these great men of God in your own life. What are your top recommended biographies to read?
Links
Living a Life of Fire - Paperback or Audible Audiobook
The Heavenly Man - Paperback or Audible Audiobook
The Cross and the Switchblade - YouTube Audiobook or Paperback or Audible Audiobook
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus - Paperback or Audible Audiobook
Why God Used D.L. Moody - Kindle Edition/ Paperback
Good Morning, Holy Spirit - Paperback or Audible Audiobook
