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I have been asked by several folks to come up with a list of books that I would recommend for others. Because I am a ravenous reader, mostly of Christian fiction, I jumped at this opportunity. I am not going to rank these books, because there is simply no way to say which is the best. What is the "best" changes as God works in us and through us.

I have long been a proponent of the theory that God speaks to us in ways other than through prayer and the Bible. God has spoken to me through song -- even secular songs -- and speaks to me through Christian fiction constantly. I even believe the progression of my reading of fiction has been directed by God. In other words, He led me to read this certain book at this certain time because I needed to gain new spiritual insights from it. He delayed me from reading other books because I simply wasn't ready spiritually to understand it.

That said, here's my list of the better Christian fiction books I have read over the past few years. Check back in the future for a list of Christian non-fiction books.

Frank Peretti: This Present Darkness; Piercing the Darkness; The Visitation; The Oath [Frank Peretti was one of the first authors to fully explore spiritual warfare. His books are filled with tales of unseen spiritual battles between angels and demons that occur in the lives of ordinary people.]

Ted Dekker: The Martyrs Song Trilogy (Wager of Heaven, When Heaven Weeps, The Thunder of Heaven); Three; Blink; Blessed Child (written with Bill Bright); Blessed Man (written with Bill Bright) [Ted Dekker was the son of missionaries and his books are mainly concerned with entering into the kingdom of heaven while here on earth. Themes revolve around characters experiencing God's love and grace in their life.]

Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins: The Left Behind Series -- Left Behind; Tribulation Force; Nicolae; Soul Harvest; Apollyon; Assassins; The Indwelling; The Mark; Desecration; The Remnant; Armageddon; Glorious Appearing (due out in March) [If you don't know these, you have been living under a rock.]

Robert Whitlow: The Sacrifice; The Trial [Georgia lawyer turned writer. Soft Christianity interwoven into detective-type stories]

C.S. Lewis: The Screwtape Letters [Letters from a demon to his apprentice on how to seduce humans from Chrisitianity. It hit so close to home I gave it away after reading it. Maybe I should look at it again?]

Randy Alcorn: Safely Home [Story of the persecuted Chinese church as seen through the eyes of an American]; Lord Foulgrin's Letters [Same premise as C.S. Lewis' "Screwtape Letters" but with more fiction and more of a plot]; The Ishbane Conspiracy [Sequel to "Lord Foulgrin's Letters]; Edge of Eternity; Deadline; Dominion [Semi-sequel to Deadline]

Joseph Girzone: Joshua; Joshua and the Children; Joshua and the City [What if Jesus came back today?]

Paul Maier: A Skeleton in God's Closet [What if they found Jesus' bones?]