READING PRESENTS A HISTORICAL MAP OF A MY WALK WITH GOD.

Last night I reflected upon my walk as a Christian. I did not dwell so much on the failures and the hard-to-meet challenges, but rather on how my reading had changed over the years - which authors were important in my early years as opposed to who I take note of today. My reflections led me to think on the importance of books in our lives and why it is necessary to read as much as we can while books remain available and our ability to read them remains in place.

When I first came to Christ in the late 1970’s, I was not much of a reader at all. I was not overly encouraged to read by my parents although there were a small number of books on display in the family room. The subject material was not exceptionally gripping from my point of view, so I was not particularly tempted to invest time in that pursuit. Becoming a Christian changed all of that. There was so much to learn and I was keen to absorb knowledge and understanding of my new life.

My first purchase, on the advice of a friend, was a Living Bible (the paraphrase by Kenneth Taylor). It was helpful, to be sure, but somehow did not satisfy the need within me. It was not long before the King James Version found its way into my life with all of its “betwixt thee and thou” and much more that was fulfilling, understandable and challenging. Today I am a New American Standard user/reader.

I then signed up for a correspondence course in Theology with a School in present-day Gauteng (then the Transvaal). They prescribed three books: 1) Ellicott’s commentary; 2) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance; and 3) Tenney’s New Testament Survey. I still own and use all three (the originals, not replacements) today, over thirty years later. I did not finish the course - in fact, I did not submit the first assignment. That is not the point, but I had acquired an appreciation for the value of books in the Christian life.

South Africa was not as American in its Christian expression back then as it is today. Having said that, most books did come from the USA. Without doubt, television has had the most impact and has left the deepest impression, for better or worse. Anyway, I soon met another Christian brother who was not far short of being a Kenneth Hagin fanatic. He had all of the books the man had written. It was not long before this devotee had me reading Hagin’s writings. I was inspired. Old man Hagin helped me to see who I was in Christ. He explained many concepts that I battled with in the Bible, particularly those Scriptures that dealt with my position and authority in Christ. Fortunately, I hope, I was never completely convinced about God’s desire to make me unbelievably rich. Nice concept, but I could never quite believe it. Maybe it was my loss...who knows?

Many other ‘faith’ teachers came through my hands but none quite made the impression that Hagin did. Sure, some of the Theology was questionable given Hagin’s links to E.W. Kenyon, but I did not know about those things in those early years. You see, God is able to keep us even in the place of theological threat.

David Wilkerson burst onto my scene as I started to seek God for answers about the end times and a holy walk before Him. My eschatology has changed radically since those days, but my desire for holiness has not. Wilkerson approached everything like a prophet of old – fire and brimstone, no compromise, absolutely no grey areas. His book ‘Sipping Saints’ really helped me to see how alcohol can be a threat to the believer. There were other books whose titles escape me, but that man’s no-compromise approach made a big contribution to my life.

Foundations are so important to any structure. Later rather than sooner it became apparent that I needed some good doctrinal foundations. Many sermons and Bible studies had created more questions than answers as I could not define some of the terminology used. Enter stage right: Derek Prince with his book ‘Firm Foundations’, a great investment. That book ignited my hunger for doctrine and Theology. While I do not agree with some of his positions today, his work caused me to think clearly and concisely. My journey was now well underway.

C.S. Lewis came into my reading scope like a whirlwind. His imagery, fantasy, allegory and common- sense faith brought balance and challenge like never before. My mentor in the teaching ministry lent me his set of the ‘Narnia Chronicles’. I could not put any of the seven books down. I wept at the stone table in ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe’. ‘The Final Battle’ presented a picture of the end which gave my eschatology its greatest evolutionary push. From there I went to ‘Mere Christianity’, ‘The Screwtape Letters’ and on and on.

The pursuit of my two degrees opened up a whole new world of wonder: Millard Erickson, Colin Chapman, Kim Riddlebarger, Kelly Varner, to name but a few.

Phillip Yancey came to visit and has never left. What a writer he is: insightful, humorous, real and realistic, honest and humble. This gifted author gave my spirituality a new and fresh grounding. His brand of faith is workable and attainable. He leads us away from performance to a place of accountable rest.

At a conference about five years ago I sat under the ministry of Leonard Sweet. To those who have read him, he obviously needs no further promotion from me. The man is a radical, a rebel against tradition for tradition’s sake. Here is a man who encourages the reader to push the envelope, to seek out new oceans for exploration. This author will make you dare.

Ravi Zecharias has taught me to see God in a fresh way as One who really, really does care and is always - never not - involved in even the most seemingly insignificant aspects of my life.

My latest academic project has me discovering the wonders of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

What a journey it has been so far. There have been many others, but those above are the standing stones along my journey, one that is a long way from being complete. I look forward to meeting whoever it is that stands ready for me at the next crossroads, brow of a hill or wherever.