INTERVIEW WITH MARK HAMBY

Mark Hamby is the founder and president of Lamplighter Ministries International, a successful Christian book and audio drama ministry. Lamplighter Ministries has rediscovered and published 130 rare books which were written during the 17^th -19^th centuries. These books teach compelling Christian truths in the form of memorable stories.

Lamplighter’s mission statement is: “To make ready a people prepared for the Lord by building Christ like character one story at a time.” Mr. Hamby attributes his passion for Christian literature to the impact that several Christian biographies made on his life.

Mr. Hamby kindly agreed to answer my questions regarding the influence of Christian biographies on his life. We exchanged the following questions and answers through e-mail.

 

INTERVIEW

How old were you when you first started reading Christian biographies?

22, the year I came to know Jesus as my Savior…1977

Who encouraged you to start reading them?

I had never read a book other than the Bible but then a man named Charlie T. (Tremendous) Jones picked me out of an audience asking me what great Christian literature had been influencing my life. After seeing that I couldn't think of a title, and after a total hysterically embarrassing moment, he sent me a dozen biographies.

Is it true that reading biographies inspired you to become a reader? Why so?

Yes…the first one was D.L. Moody, then George Mueller, then Amy Carmichael, then Gladys Alyward, and then Hudson Taylor and so on. The stories of these committed Christians influenced me so profoundly that I began to emulate their lives. Each book that I read gave me one more nudge forward in my faith. Within a year I was consumed with new thoughts and motivations that guided my passions for serving Christ and others.

On the Lamplighter website you state that If I Perish has remained your favorite biography for 25 years. Why?

If you read If I Perish you will understand why. But simply, Esther Ann Kim is my hero. She was tortured for Christ but never fought back. She prayed for her enemies; when her teeth were rotting, she prayed and God answered her prayers through the taunting of the soldiers as they threw rotten apples at her that morning. Esther saw those apples, not as an enemy’s attack but as the gracious gifts of God. After sucking the juice from the rotten apples, she regained her strength which also brought healing to her teeth.

How many biographies would you guess you have read since you first started reading them?

Actually, it hasn't been the biographies that have influenced by life as much as the rare books that I found in Europe, now known as the Lamplighter Collection of rare books. Concerning biographies, I would say only 20…Concerning these rare books, about 200…my favorites are The Basket of Flowers, Hedge of Thorns, Titus: A Comrade of the Cross; The Lamplighter; Ishmael; Shipwrecked; Robbers Cave; Sir Knight of the Splendid Way; The Kings Gold; Hand on the Bridle; Helen's Temper; Jessica's First Prayer; Christies Old Organ; Buried in the Snow' A Peep Behind the Scenes; Basil.

You also state on the website that “Books have been the main tool that God has used to bring insight, inspiration, and understanding into my life…and often at just the right moment.” Can you give an example of a time in your life when something you learned from a biography helped you at “Just the right moment”?

When visiting a racially tense area, I remembered that Hudson Taylor became like the people he served. That idea allowed me to ask a man whom I was visiting (trying to share the Gospel), if he had an extra pair of sneakers I could wear so that I could beat him in basketball! He was so taken back by my request that it opened the door for me to share Christ…well, if the truth be told, I couldn't share Christ until after I beat him in basketball! If I had lost, I was going to be cutting his lawn for the next two months!

 

Have you started or quit any habits as a result of a reading a biography?

I learned from George Mueller and from all of the others, that there was one major life line to serve Christ and live a joyful and passionate Christian life--that is to possess a full intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ. George Mueller was a great man of prayer and faith. But what few people know is that George Mueller read through the Bible four times from cover to cover each year, from the time he was 71 till the time of his death at 92!

How often do you re-read your favorite biographies?

Never…I only read a book once, though I will go back and use quotes that I have underlined. I do this quite frequently. I see my books as tools after they've been read. They are always on hand to extract the golden nuggets to accentuate God's truth and ways…There are too many great books to read, to spend my time going backwards to reread a book just for pleasure…it is important that we drink out of new wells. It's like manna…God gives new manna for each new day!

 

If you are interested in learning more about Lamplighter Ministries, please visit their website at www.lamplighter.net/c/home/.