293 Books. 293 ways to learn about God and yourself.
Thirty-eight years and 293 books later and we’re still amazed at what God has done and is doing through Lamplighter Ministries. We are still crafting stories that fulfill the Great Commission and transform lives in ways we never could have imagined. What makes this even more astonishing is that I, as the founder of Lamplighter, never read a book until I was twenty-two years old. I could read; I just hated to read!
I know, it’s hard to believe that I never read a book. I could memorize vocabulary, even do well on tests, but I couldn’t actually make my way through a book until July, 1977. That July, everything would change. It was 2:20 am. I called on the name of the LORD to be saved. Almost immediately after my conversion I began reading the Bible. I couldn’t put it down! And it wasn’t long before I had read through the entire Bible as my very first book! A spark had been ignited, comprehension began to soar, and character started to be formed.
Little did I know that the spark would turn into a flame after meeting author and speaker Charlie “Tremendous” Jones. I’ll never forget that first meeting. With a thunderous voice, Charlie declared words I would repeat for the next 46 years:
“You’ll be the same today as you will be five years from now except for the people you meet and the books you read!”
To my astonishment, out of 3,000 attendees, Charlie singled me out—the non-reader—and challenged me to start reading Christian biographies and stories filled with heroic, godly characters.
I began with D. L. Moody, George Müller, and Hudson Taylor, and from that moment on, I was hooked. Day after day I found myself learning from John Hus, Adoniram Judson, Charles Spurgeon, Gladys Aylward, Amy Carmichael, David Brainerd, David Livingstone, C. T. Studd, Watchman Nee, Esther Ann Kim, and so many others! During this time, everyone I met would hear me say, “This is the best book I’ve ever read!”—and soon others began reading as well.
Soon that flame would turn into an unquenchable fire! It happened when I received a book that would forever change my life—The Basket of Flowers. This 18th-century tale of a father and his falsely accused daughter exposed character flaws I had never recognized in my own life. I learned truths about God that I had never known but would never forget. Its message challenged me deeply:
Would I be willing to “Die for the truth rather than live for a lie, no matter the cost”?
I knew I had stumbled upon a treasure, a treasure that everyone needed to read. And thus, the publishing arm of Lamplighter was born! Though we knew nothing about publishing, we knew that when you find a pearl of great price, you sell all that you have, move forward by faith, and depend on God’s grace.
Thirty-eight years and 293 books later, readers around the world are discovering the same life-changing truths that have shaped my life. I am who I am today through the Word of God and the books that I’ve read, primarily Lamplighter books.
Choosing which 18th and 19th-century books will be published is one of the most enjoyable parts of this ministry. Rare books are being reviewed daily to see if they will meet the Lamplighter standard:
The story must be crafted with words of delight, truth, and wisdom (Eccles. 9:8-11), inspiring me to love God, hate sin, and act upon the new truths revealed.
And this has happened—293 times! That is what makes Lamplighter stories so unique—and why they’re so desperately needed today. These stories teach and inspire all ages to know God intimately so they can proclaim him passionately and enjoy him infinitely. Please don’t miss the meaning of knowing God intimately. Lamplighter stories are filled with Scripture and Biblical insights that help the reader to understand the Word so that it lodges in their moral imagination and memory—“transformed through the renewing of their mind.”
Will you join us? This Giving Tuesday, you can help place Christ-centered stories into homes, prisons, hospitals, and orphanages around the world. Together, we can inspire others to know God intimately, proclaim Him passionately, and enjoy Him infinitely. Your gift—whether monthly or a one-time blessing—helps advance the Kingdom of God and His righteousness throughout the earth.
Sincerely,
Mark Hamby
President of Lamplighter Ministries
