What They Said About World Evangelism
Topic : Evangelism, cf. witnessing, death of Christ1. Oswald Chambers: "The thing that makes a missionary is the sight of what Jesus did on the cross and to have heard Him say, "Go."'
2. Daniel T. Niles: Evangelism is witness. It is one beggar telling another beggar where to get food.'
3. Robert Wiler, a missionary volunteer connected with the Student Volunteer Movement, from a speech he gave at a conference in 1891: 'let us come to the churches having as our theme the highwayman's motto, "Your money or your life,? saying the needs are so great, the command so urgent, we have given our lives-will you not give your money"'
4. C. T. Studd wrote from Cambridge in 1883: "I had known about Jesus dying for me, but I had never understood that, if He had died for me, then I didn't belong to myself. Redemption means buying back, so that if I belong to Him, either I had to be a thief, and keep what wasn't mine, or else I had to give up everything to God. When I came to see that Jesus had died for me, it didn't seem hard to give up all for Him.? Studd also said, "If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.'
5. March 19th, 1872, was David Livingstone's 59th birthday. In his diary we read these words: "My Jesus, my King, my Life, My All. I again dedicate my whole self to Thee.? A year later he was found dead on his knees by his bedside, a candle burning, his Bible open, himself in the presence of his King.
6. Student commitment made at a Frontiers Missionary Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1980: "By the grace of God and for His glory, I commit my entire life to obeying His commission of Matt. 28:18-20, wherever and however He leads me, giving priority to the peoples currently beyond the reach of the Gospel (Rom. 15:20-21). I will also endeavor to impart this vision to others.'
7. Words spoken by Rev. Festo Kivengere in a communications convention: "It is the Holy Spirit who puts jet engines on the word bombs of the Bible so they fly into the needy places in people's hearts and explode at the right time.'
8. A. T. Pierson: "There is enough jewelry, gold, and silver plate buried in Christian homes to build a fleet of 50,000 vessels, ballast them with Bibles, crowd them with missionaries, and supply every living soul with the gospel in a score of years. Only let God take possession and the gospel will wing its way like the beams of the morning.'
9. Robertson McQuilken in his book The Great Omission: "in a world in which nine out of every ten people is lost, three or four have never heard the way out, and one of every two cannot hear, the church sleeps on. How come? Could it be we think there must be some other way? Or perhaps we don't really care that much'
10. George Murray, director of the Bible Christian Union, tells us that for years he was "willing to go, but planning to stay.? Not until he became "willing to stay, but planning to go? did God move him to Italy.
11. Dr. A. B. Simpson: "Press on our heart the woe, and put in our feet the go.'
12. Dr. Bob Pierce: "When considering the needs of missions, don't fail to do something just because you can't do everything. "Others have done so much with so little, while we have done so little with so much.'
13. A South Sea Islander proudly displayed his Bible to a World War II G.I. "We-ve outgrown that sort of thing,? the soldier said. the native smiled back. "It's a good thing we haven't. If it wasn't for the Book, you'd have been a meal by now.'
14. Hudson Taylor: "I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him. I ended up asking Him to do His work through me.'
15. Dr. Ralph Winter: "For the gospel to "go where it isn't,? someone has to go from where it is among his own people and go where he/she will no longer be "native.? Natives become foreigners when they become true missionaries. It is one thing to be concerned that the church grow where it is. It is something else to make sure the church goes where it isn't.'
16. Mr. Bernie May (U.S. Division Director of Wycliffe): 'the question is not, "Can I afford to take on the needs of the world when I'm so troubled by other things"? The question is, "Can I afford not to"?'
17. International Missionary Council, Jerusalem, 1928: "herein lies the Christian motive: it is simple. We cannot bear to think of men living without Him. We believe in a Christlike world. We know nothing better; we can be content with nothing less.'
18. William Booth once had an audience with King Edward VII of England. His Majesty highly commended the Salvationist for his unflagging zeal and wonderful work among the poor. How revealing was Booth's reply to the king's glowing words! He said, "Your Majesty, some men's passion is for art. Some men's passion is for fame. My passion is for souls.'
19. Theodore Williams of India said: "We face a humanity that is too precious to neglect. We know a remedy for the ills of the world too wonderful to withhold. We have a Christ too glorious to hide. We have an adventure that is too thrilling to miss.'
20. Andrew Murray said at World Missionary Conference in 1910, "We shall need three times more men, four times more money, and seven times more prayer.'
21. Dr. Samuel Zwemer, in a convention of the Student Volunteer Movement, hung a great map of Islam before the delegates, and with a sweep of his hand across all those darkened areas said: 'thou, O Christ, art all I want, and Thou, O Christ, art all they want. What Christ can do for any man, He can do for every man.'
22. Henry Martyn, at 23 years of age: "I feel that my heart is wholly for heaven, and the world mainly behind my back.? On his way to India: "I do not know that anything would be a heaven to me, but the service of Christ and the enjoyment of His presence. Oh how sweet is life when spent in His service.'
23. Betty Stam's covenant made as a high school student: 'lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all utterly to Thee to be Thine forever. Fill me with Thy Holy Spirit. Use me as Thou wilt; send me where Thou wilt; work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever.'
24. Nate Saint"in a Christmas meditation letter written just a short while before he and four other young men gave their lives in seeking to reach the Auca Indians in Ecuador, South America, December, 1955: "If God would grant us the vision, the word 'sacrifice? would disappear from our lips and thoughts; we would hate the things that seem now so dear to us; our lives would suddenly be too short; we would despise time-robbing distractions and charge the enemy with all our energies in the name of Christ. May God help us to judge ourselves by the eternities that separate the Aucas from a comprehension of Christmas, and Him, who, though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor so that we might, through His poverty, be made rich. Lord God, speak to my own heart and give me to know Thy holy will and the joy of walking in it. Amen.?
