A beautiful read on the beach

Brooke and I returned Saturday night from a 3 day vacation in celebration of our 3 year wedding anniversary. It was a wonderful time away for us. I'm blessed to have her as my bride and to see her excitement as she prepares for the arrival of our baby come February. Our recent trip was to a beach in South Carolina. Often times when we go on vacation, we go to a beach. I'm not a big fan of beaches because of the sun, sand everywhere, and the fact that I'm the hairiest and whitest guy there. Nonetheless, it means much to my bride to go, so I grin and bear it. What I do enjoy about going to the beach is the beauty of getting to read. This past trip, I was blessed to finish my book by J.I Packer, and then I was privileged to read the biography of C.T. Studd. What a beautiful read! (I'm a nerd...I enjoy reading away from other reading...)

C.T. Studd was a missionary that lived a little less than 100 years ago; serving in China, India, and then parts of Africa. He was a popular cricketer from England that gave his life to following Jesus. He gave up the glamour of being a famous athlete in order to preach the Gospel to lost people in different cultures. Studd is one of my heroes of the faith. At 25 years of age, he received a large inheritance from his father's death. The money was in today's understanding was probably millions...was given away to support ministries. Some was given to support the beginning of the Salvation Army. Some was given to George Muller in his work with the orphans...some was given to the evangelist that helped lead his family to an understanding of Christ; D.L Moody. Moody used the gift to help start the famous Bible institute that bears his name today. All of these gifts came from a simple reading of Scripture...most likely Matthew 6:19-24. I can say without any hesitation...C.T was a stud. Here is a quote from his biography that floored me,

"Christ's call is to feed the hungry, not the full; to save the lost, not the stiff-necked; not to call the scoffers, but sinners to repentance; not to build and furnish comfortable chapels, churches, and cathedrals at home in which to rock Christian professors to sleep by means of clever essays, stereotyped prayers and artistic musical performances, but to raise living churches of souls among the destitute, to capture men from the devil's clutches and snatch them from the very jaws of hell, to enlist and train them for Jesus, and make them into an almighty Army of God. But this can only be accomplished by a red-hot, unconventional, unfettered Holy Ghost religion, which neither Church nor State, neither man nor traditions are worshipped or preached, but only Christ and Him crucified. Not to confess Christ by fancy collars, clothes, silver croziers or gold watch-chain crosses, church steeples or richly embroidered altar cloths, but by reckless sacrifice and heroism in the foremost trenches." - C.T. Studd

When I read these words, I was drawn to the beauty of the Gospel. We worship the God of this world that doesn't rely on our impressive display of wealth or knowledge, our prosperity or popularity, our goals or ambitions, our prestige or our power, our fame or our fortune, our way or our want, our esteem or our self righteousness. We worship the God of this world that draws us to His saving grace through the atonement of His Son. He pardoned our sin, paid our fine, erased our debt, and changed our course from hell to His eternal splendor. From that, as a child by His creative work, we are simply called to be obedient.

I don't care if anyone likes my style of preaching or not. I don't care if anyone enjoys my leadership or not. I don't care if my clothes impress people. I've learned at a young age (By His grace) that allegiance to the acceptance of man leads to the rejection of His ultimate authority. I believe reckless surrender to His daily provision will indeed increase the beauty of the mission of the church as well as the genuine fellowship with other believers. All my cares are found in the joyful surrender to His wonderful Word. I don't want to study and know it for knowledge sake, but to study and apply it for the sake of treasured worship of my Savior King.

"If you love me, than you will obey what I command." John 14:15.

Take time and study some of the lives of missionaries that gave it all to Jesus for the sake of wanting His kingdom to grow on earth.

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