The advice in the title, given by A.W. Tozer. He stated, “Read less, but read more of what really matters.” Sound wisdom.

I have been publishing lists of influential books that will help to guide readers into a deeper understanding of the Gospel of the Kingdom as Christ Jesus presented it, and the New Covenant life to which we are all called. Sadly, though all are called to this life, few there are who find it, including few in the institutional church of the day. I have heard some great speakers expound on this New Covenant life, people like Bernard Briscoe, Juan Carlos Ortiz, W. Ian Thomas. Yet so very few recent and current “religious media types” seem to know what the New Covenant in Christ’s blood means for our daily walking in Christ.

So, we turn to those who seem to know. Many of them are now dead, yet there are a few recent and current writers who understand and proclaim the truth. My previous posts with lists of authors and books are here and here. Check them out, along with these listed below. Happy reading!

George Steinberger – “In the Footprints of the Lamb.” Written in the late 1800s, this little classic captures so much of what it means to follow Christ. Several have commented on how much this book influenced them, including Leonard Ravenhill.

Henry Scougal – “The Life of God in the Soul of Man.” This book, written in the 1600s, profoundly influenced many, including George Whitefield, who stated regarding the book, “I didn’t know what real Christianity was until God sent me this little book.” Get the version with updated English, edited by Paul Lamb.

James H. McConkey – McConkey is a little known writer today, and has in some respects always been so. Yet his works influenced many dynamic Christ-disciples in the early 1900s. Three titles to look for: “The Surrendered Life,” “Prayer,”, and “The Three-fold Secret of the Holy Spirit.” That third book was always in the pocket of William Borden of both Yale (1909) and Princeton (1912), a young man who did not live past his mid-twenties yet who had a world-wide influence for Christ.

Gene Edwards – “The Secret to the Christian Life.” The most common response from people to whom I have given this book is this, “This book changes everything.” Edwards is a current writer of “Biblical fiction,” a term that seems oxymoronic to me, but who wrote what is one of the best explanations of New Covenant living out there. Get. This. Book.

Roy Hession – “The Calvary Road.” Roy and his wife Revel (cool name, right?), wrote of their experience with tribes in Africa who were living in continuous revival for generations. Working with the World Evangelisation Crusade (when Norman Grubb was the Secretary General of that organization), the Hessions lived with a number of people from these tribes, and wrote what they learned for the rest of the mission society. Those mimeographed articles were complied into this book.

Andrew Murray – yes, more from Murray. I may never exhaust the wealth that this man left to true followers of Christ. His “Secret” series included books designed for church planters in southern Africa to enable them to learn by way of daily, short lessons on key topics of Christian living. “The Secret of the Cross,” “The Secret of Humility,” “The Secret of Christ our Life,” and “The Secret of Fellowship” are just a few great examples of this series. Thirty days, three pages per day, life transforming truths.

David G. Benner – “Surrender to Love.” Benner, a psychologist, writes an outstanding book on the imperative to surrender to the love of our God and to union with Him. Here is the heart of Christian spirituality, and the very foundation of true discipleship.

Francis Chan – “Letters to the Church.” Chan writes with passion of our need to stop the playing at religion and to begin following Christ’s commands without compromise. Underlying his words is an undercurrent of surrender to Christ in all things, which is at the core of becoming Christian. Serious stuff, seriously well stated.

Yes, there will be more. I have not even started on the list for A.W. Tozer!