I found this interview with Oscar Muriu who is a church planting guy in Kenya. We obviously come from different perspectives, still I was amazed by the great vision the man has for reaching the lost, training leaders and planting churches. I was also amazed by his simple but pentrating insights into the Western mindset. The article is lengthy by worth the read. I am planning on reading it to my kids tonight and discussing it for family devotions.
I have been re-reading this precious book, “Words to Winners of Souls” little by little, using it to fire my soul, especially on days of prayer and fasting. Horatius Bonar was a Scottish minister from the past who had a zeal to see pastors awake and alive to the issues of eternity and the need to win souls. This book is aimed at pastors, but beneficial to others. My copy was given to me over 1o years ago by Pastor Michael Crawford, and I can remember reading it together and praying in his study. You can get it at amazon.com or a discount version at Chapel Library.
I read some of it yesterday and it lead me to pray and seek God with earnestness. He is one of the “old boys” that lays it down straight. Bonar (1808-1889) was not a puritan, but quoted them extensively. It is interesting to me that of all the interest in puritanism and the theology of the past that has been reborn in the last 50 years, there are precious few that have sought to emulate their lives when it comes to soul-winning. Bonar says some remarkable things:
I was struck while looking through a hymnal that Bonar thought about this a lot. He also wrote this hymn which is a poetic expression of these ideas. I just printed a copy of this and taped it above my desk to stir me to this kind of zeal.
Go, labor on: spend, and be spent,
Thy joy to do the Father’s will:
It is the way the Master went;
Should not the servant tread it still?
Go, labor on! ’tis not for naught
Thine earthly loss is heavenly gain;
Men heed thee, love thee, praise thee not;
The Master praises: what are men?
Go, labor on! enough, while here,
If He shall praise thee, if He deign
The willing heart to mark and cheer:
No toil for Him shall be in vain.
Go, labor on! Your hands are weak,
Your knees are faint, your soul cast down;
Yet falter not; the prize you seek
Is near—a kingdom and a crown.
Go, labor on while it is day:
The world’s dark night is hastening on;
Speed, speed thy work, cast sloth away;
It is not thus that souls are won.
Men die in darkness at thy side,
Without a hope to cheer the tomb;
Take up the torch and wave it wide,
The torch that lights time’s thickest gloom.
Toil on, faint not, keep watch and pray,
Be wise the erring soul to win;
Go forth into the world’s highway,
Compel the wanderer to come in.
Toil on, and in thy toil rejoice!
For toil comes rest, for exile home;
Soon shalt thou hear the Bridegroom’s voice,
The midnight peal, “Behold, I come!”
I have been reading this book recently and it has really fed my soul. Sooo….in order to convince my pastor friends and aspiring preachers and church planters to buy this book, I decided to read a few excerpts to give you a flavor. There are about 7 minutes of highlights here, I hope you enjoy!
“Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.”- Hebrews 13:3
Saudi Woman Killed by Her Father for Her Faith In Christ
Here is an account of a young woman whose father burned her to death and cut out her tongue for becoming a Christian. This is shocking, and you can read the story from Voice of the Martyrs. But it should not be a surprise, Jesus said it would be this way. According to Christ, this woman has not lost her life. She has gained it!
Matt 10:34-39
“34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”
I recently had the privilege of attending the Heritage Baptist Church Missions Conference. One of the speakers was Conrad Mbewe of Zambia. We were well fed by the word of God when he spoke. You can listen to the sessions at their website.
I learned today that Conrad now has a blog, and their church has a very cool website with lots of good information.
“The love of the Spirit”
“Perhaps much of our slow progress in the walk of faith is to be traced to our overlooking the love of the Spirit.
We do not deal with Him, for strength and advancement, as one who really loves us, and longs to bless us, and delights to help our infirmities (Rom 8:26). We regard Him as cold, or distant, or austere; we do not trust Him for His grace, nor realize how much He is in earnest in His dealings with us.
More childlike confidence in Him and in His love would help us on mightily. Let us not grieve Him, nor vex Him, nor quench Him by our untrustfulness, by disbelieving or doubting the riches of His grace, the abundance of His loving-kindness.”
—Horatius Bonar, “The Holy Spirit”
Here is a great 30 minute message on Fasting by John Piper. It deals with the great temptation of wanting to be seen by men and addresses the answer: Doing what we do to be seen and rewarded by our father. Very good stuff. If there is to be blessing and success in church planting it will come through seeking God in prayer and fasting.
This is a response by John Piper to a Muslim document calling for unity among Christians and Muslims. Very kind hearted but faithful to the truth.
I know that so many around the world have been waiting on pins and needles, pacing in restlessness wondering what I will be preaching when I get to Fresno. Well, pant no more! I am going preach one of the gospels: either Mark or John. I chose this because I believe that the foundation of the church is the historical events of the life of Christ. The gospel is basically “NEWS” of what God has done to reconcile the world to himself. It is NOT primarily advice to follow, but truth to believe. I was convinced to take this path, at least in part by Tim Keller’s message on the implications of the gospel for ministry. You can get it from the Gospel Coalition
BTW, I think the picture above is just fabulous. I don’t know what the sculptor had in mind- but I find this to be a great visual of what Biblical preaching should be: a chance for us to point all men, again and again, to the truth.
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MattTroupe.net 