Fear No Evil [Large Print] [Paperback]

David C. K. Watson (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 275 pages
• Publisher: Walker (March 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802725406
• ISBN-13: 978-0802725400
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,858,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Watson was born in 1933, educated at Wellington College school and St. John's College, Cambridge where he gave his life to Christ. He became an ordained minister in the Church of England, starting work among the dock workers of Gillingham, Kent with John Collins and David McInnes at St Marks church. David's second curacy took him to the Round Church in Cambridge, where the vicar was Mark Ruston. Around the same time, encouraged by Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones, David sought the fullness of the Holy Spirit in his life and the modern Charismatic movement in Britain had one of its most important leaders. David became Curate-in-Charge of St. Cuthbert's, York in 1965 which was attended by no more than twelve at any service, and was twelve months away from redundancy. Eight years later the congregation had out-grown St. Cuthbert's resulting in a move to the much larger St. Michael le Belfrey opposite York Minster. Subsequently the congregation grew to many hundreds, in only a few years. As his ministry progressed, David Watson was involved with missionary enterprises throughout the world and was a high profile advocate of reconciliation and ecumenism in Northern Ireland. He pioneered work with the arts, using drama and dance in church for the first time. He met the Vineyard Leader John Wimber in 1980, and was one of the first people to welcome him and the Vinyard ministry to the UK. This encouraged the connection between Wimber and Terry Virgo of Newfrontiers. He left St. Michael-le-Belfrey in 1982 for London. He died of cancer on 18 February 1984 after recording his fight with the disease in a book, Fear No Evil. John Gunstone remarked of David Watson: "It is doubtful whether any other English Christian leader has had greater influence on this side of the Atlantic since the Second World War."

Shortly before he died David wrote the following:"The most important lesson I have learned in these past eleven months is that God loves me, is always with me - in the dark as in the light - and that I cannot trust him too much. The best is yet to be, once we have put our lives in Christ."

'David Watson was one of the best known and loved Christian leaders of modern times...he had an impact as evangelist and teacher second only to Billy Graham.' Michael Green

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honest questions, challenging answers, August 4, 2000

By 

Geraldine RAYMOND (Palaiseau France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fear No Evil (Paperback)

David Watson's honest reactions as he fights cancer are not just for those who are dealing with illness. They are for all of us who struggle with fear and faith. As I read this book, I remembered another David's difficult times recorded in the Book of Psalms. That David always ended an emotional cry by looking into the face of God and trusting. In the depths of crisis David Watson finds a love relationship with God which does not deny a difficult reality, but which carries him through. This book has greatly encouraged me.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great source of encouragement and comfort., May 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Fear No Evil: One Man Deals With Terminal Illness (Paperback)

David Watson candidly shares his journey from "life to life" in a comforting and encouraging manner. With the Lord as his travelling companion, Watson reveals the most important pursuit given to humanity - to seek God's face.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Difficult but Enlightening and Rewarding Book, October 23, 2008

By 

C. Stephans - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fear No Evil (Hodder Christian Paperbacks) (Paperback)

I appreciate David Watson's transparency and insights in this account of his battle with cancer and with really learning to trust in God. David Watson was an active and reknowned Christian preacher and minister who contracted cancer in the prime of his life.

This memoir lets readers into his private thoughts, theology and interactions during his last year of life. He had hoped and hoped that God would heal him. Thousands of Christians prayed for his healing. Many came and visited him and he attended services during which hands were laid on him in hopes of his healing.

Despite these many prayers, David died from cancer. For me, the big question after reading this book is "What was God doing here?" The secondary question that I think lingers is "What does this mean for Christian ministry and praying for the sick?"

David offers valuable insights in this book, some of which is devoted to biblical theology.

Thousands of Christians who earnestly prayed for David. John and Carol Wimber who flew from California twice to pray for him, the several bishops who prayed with him, his team, John Wimber's church, etc. etc. all prayed according to the promises of Scripture that Watson cites in his book. They laid hands on him, they cursed the cancer, they commanded it to leave, they fasted, they shared communion, they spoke words of knowledge, they had faith and they persevered. These are all the actions of faith that I think the Bible suggests and commands. But God did not grant their request that Watson would be healed and free from cancer.

There are more than a few miracles in this book. One cannot honestly read this book and think that God is not present and did not act in Watson's life. He was transformed spiritually through the experience of this event. The love of the Body of Christ shown to this man and his family is overwhelming. It is that love and nothing else that Jesus said would define his followers. Not withstanding a few exceptions, the church proved itself followers of Jesus in its response to Watson. By Watson's testimony, we see that God was present and working in his life. Watson never seemed seriously to doubt God's presence.

But those who prayed for him asked specifically for his healing that he might live a long life. And this was withheld by God. It seems that Watson examined himself from every angle to discern anything within or without that might be blocking his healing. He received words of correction and even rebuke. He addressed what he discovered. And his cancer remained and grew.

When we begin at the end of Watson's book, it tells a different story. Instead of a drive to be healed, Watson shares one wish, "there is nothing that I want more than to go to heaven. I know how good it is." His last words recorded in his book are "Let's go home." (Epilogue) Something transformational occurred in Watson's life. This is what God does: he transforms. Sometimes that transformation may include physical healing and sometimes it might include bringing someone home. I have a feeling that after Watson received an embrace by the Father in heaven he would not have wished for another day on earth. For he knew that the same arms that hold him in heaven, hold his wife and children on earth. They are in good hands until they meet him again.

This is a profound book for all Christians to read to gain a better understanding of our relationship to Jesus Christ and the world.

Craig Stephans, author of Shakespeare On Spirituality: Life-Changing Wisdom from Shakespeare's Plays