C.T. Studd - A Witness

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Charles Thomas Studd (1860-1931) was a world-renowned cricket player from England. He came from a very wealthy family and after an extreme conversion, he left everything behind, gave away all his money and went to faithfully serve his Saviour as a missionary in the hardest places on earth - China, India and Africa. He was a radical Christian and a soldier of the cross. 

His motto was:
“If Jesus Christ is God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” 

He also said:
“What is all the fame and flattery worth ... when a man comes to face eternity?”

“I know that cricket would not last, and honour would not last, and nothing in this world would last, but it was worthwhile living for the world to come.”

C.T. Studd demonstrated what it really means to follow Christ without counting the cost and without looking back. His life will be an eternal rebuke to the easy-going Christian.

C.T. Studd’s life is a sign to all succeeding generations that it is worthwhile to lose all this world can offer and stake everything on the world to come. He was sold out to Jesus – so much so that he gave away his family inheritance for the sake of the gospel.

C.T Studd's life told the story of Calvary. He could have chosen to tell the story of the glories of being a first class cricketer and all the trophies he won for England. Instead, he FORSOOK ALL to follow Jesus. He was a Cavalry leader indeed. 

Does my life tell the story of Calvary?

C.T. Studd could have chosen to write a best-seller about his pedigree and exceptional skills. Instead, he wrote a book called 'The Chocolate Soldier'.  The book is about radical Christianity. It is a challenge not to be a chocolate soldier but a real soldier. A chocolate soldier says,  "Yes, I will go," but does not go.

What kind of soldier am I?

C.T Studd wrote a poem called 'Only One Life'.

PRAYER

Lord - let my life tell the story of Calvary.

Establish it in me that it profits nothing to gain the whole world and lose my soul - Matthew 16:26.

Make me a true soldier, who is standing on the full Gospel.

Make me a true soldier that will endure hardship - 2 Timothy 2:1-4.

Help me know that I have only one life.

Help me know that this one life is like a vapour that vanishes away - James 4:14.

Help me know that this one life must be the divine life of Christ in me, not the self life.

Create in me a hunger for the divine life - Matthew 5:6.

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Paul: A Witness

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1.      He was humble and filled with grace: He did not insist on who his discipler should be. He did not discriminate the partner given to him by the Holy Spirit. He did not insist that the Lord’s Apostles should disciple him since he too had seen Jesus. He did not struggle with Barnabas, his partner, in labour – Acts 13: 2; 1 Corinthians 15:10.

2.       He encountered the Lord and saw the resurrected Christ: Before I can be an effective witness, there must be a personal and complete encounter with the Lord – Acts 9. I must know what it means to be deliberate in seeking the Lord in my private closet. It is in the closet that I am made – not in the open and it is what has been delivered unto me from Heaven that can be given to others to benefit from. So, in essence, whatever I receive elsewhere is second-hand, until I go back to God for deeper understanding and authentication.

3.      He was sensitive and full of wisdom, a true witness indeed that had an “UNDER” to his “STANDING”: Knowing Christ was more and more his priority. The more he knew the Lord, the more insight he received – Philippians 3: 6-11.

This made him:

Ø  An epitome of Luke 9:23: He knew how to deny himself and his compassion for souls made him readily available. He was ready to become anything just for the sake of winning souls for Christ. He was a servant unto all for the sake of the gospel – that means he was one who considered his own comfortability!

1 Corinthians 9:19-23; James 3:17-18 AMP.

Ø  A witness who knew how to put into use what he had as implements for the service of God – 1 Corinthians 11: 21-33.

Ø  A witness who delighted and boasted in his sufferings.

4.      Paul was a witness whose act of believing provoked Heaven’s response while he simply praised and worshipped God, bringing deliverance and salvation to many – Acts 16:23-31.

We also have been called into this same race, which Paul completed and testified that he had finished…

Will we continue to strive more for the things of the world, celebrate our worldly success and achievements over the spiritual things that matter most?

To what extent are you ready and willing to go as a true witness

for the sake of the Gospel?

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Elijah: A Witness Committed

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COME DRINK NEW WINE! Elijah- 1Kings 17- 2Kings 2

Committed to praying and communing with God- 1Kings 17:1, 18:1, 41-44, James 5:17

Elijah had regular conversations with God as to know what to do next. This eased him into everything he achieved, difficult as those assignments looked in the natural, e.g. Visit to Ahab to lock the heavens, encounter with prophets of Baal and the fire on Carmel, bringing the rain after 3 years of drought. A true witness is given to a life of prayer and communion with the Lord he is witnessing about.

Equipped with boldness- 1Kings 17:1, 18:17-21

A witness cannot be a coward. He knows his witnessing might well end his life so he receives courage to do it well with results. The disciples prayed for courage and boldness to proclaim the name of Jesus in the face of danger and persecution. Acts 4:29-31.

Equipped with swiftness, not hasty but swift- no time to waste- John 11:9, 9:4

Swift to deliver his message, swift to pray, swift to follow God's instructions, swift to sort out the matter of godlessness in the land, swift to call down fire, swift to call down rain.

Committed to discipleship for continuity- 1Kings 19:15-17, 19-21

God said to go anoint Elisha to take over from you. Elijah understood that meant "go disciple Elisha for continuity". He committed to that for the next 14 years. His relationship with the sons of the prophets was just like a mentor, but with Elisha it was real incubation.

Committed to praying and communing with God

ü  Take me into Your prayer mansion and brood on me for a deep communion.

ü  Help me key into the prayer life of JESUS. "It is no longer I that pray" Let the prayer life of Jesus have continuity in me with results.

ü  Holy Spirit help me to pray, intercede for me. Help me stand before my Father.

Equipped with boldness

ü  Equip me with boldness to declare You whenever and wherever You lead me.

ü  Like with the disciples follow our witnessing with signs and wonders.

ü  Let our witnessing settle the halting between two opinions in our time.

Equipped with swiftness, not hasty but swift- no time to waste

ü  Deliver me from sluggishness and unbelief. Help me trust You simply.

ü  Make me swift in my dealings with You- in obedience to Your instructions.

ü  Respond to our swiftness with Your miraculous.

Committed to discipleship for continuity

ü  Give us a clear understanding of Your heart on discipleship- A platform that You gave to raise Your new race of men so Jesus' life can continue.

ü  Make us committed to being discipled and to discipling others for continuity.

ü  Remove all the enemy's plot to confuse discipleship with church membership in our days. Deliver us from this huge robbery of the evil one.

ü  Let the Holy Spirit be so present in our midst so everyone can know that You have approved of us in discipleship.

ü  Let there be love among all Your disciples.

Lord, like Elijah, make me Your witness. Amen

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Joseph: A Witness

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COME DRINK NEW WINE! JOSEPH A WITNESS

ü  Forthrightness of heart is key-

Joseph's forthright heart could not condone or excuse sin even in his brothers. He exposed them- Gen 37:2

ü  A bridled tongue and life is key-

Don't expose your fire to fire extinguishers, rather walk closely in discipleship, under incubation. Lack of proper incubation made Joseph hasty is exposing his dreams and life- Gen 37:5-11, Luke 24:46-49

ü  A released life, even in vulnerability is key-

God's arrangement is better. A self defender, clever man cannot be an effective witness. He will lean on his understanding and judgement- Gen 37:12-36

ü  Faithfulness and integrity of life is key-

Joseph knew that sin, either in secret or open is a dream destroyer. He was faithful to God, to his dreams, to Portiphar. "Flee all appearances of evil..." - Gen 39

ü  Kind, offence-free, non vindictive conscience is key-

Any root of bitterness will dwarf my dream. As God forgave me, so I must carry His forgiveness towards others, whether they say "sorry" or not- Gen 41-47

ü  Patience in hope. Settled heart that is confident in God's faithfulness. Laying hold on a complete encounter for complete fulfilment is key-

Joseph received complete fulfilment of his dreams. He did not get swollen headed and run with part fulfilment. Part encounter only produces part fulfilment of dreams, which produces part witness- truncated destiny! Gen 49

Baptise me into all the virtues that make YOUR witnesses.

Make me Your witness my LORD, and take all the glory!

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Peter: A Witness

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COME DRINK NEW WINE!

·         Peter and the disciples believed- Luke 24:49-52

·         Peter kept on believing. He tarried as instructed- Acts 1:6-8

·         He took responsibility. Preoccupied, occupied, postoccupied with Jesus- Acts 1:13-22

·         He received power when the Holy Spirit came- Acts 2:1-11

·         Peter became JESUS' witness- Acts 3:1-12

* Today we read their lives as witnesses. Peter and the disciples did not read lives,

 THEY SIMPLY LIVED and their daily living became a witness for JESUS their Master.

ü  Peter dropped all from his heart and hands.

WHAT HAVE I DROPPED?

ü  JESUS said "tarry in Jerusalem..." - settle down there, with prayers

AM I TARRYING IN THE ALLOTTED LOCATION? AM I SETTLED?

ü  Acts 2:41-47. They laid their possession down to push the labour among the people. WHAT POSSESSION HAVE I LAID DOWN TO PUSH THE LABOUR OF REVIVAL?

* HELP ME TO SIMPLY LIVE AND LET MY LIVING BECOME A WITNESS.

Like Peter and the disciples!

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