Resources on Missions
Today is the 240th anniversary of the birth of pioneer missionary Henry Martyn, born February 18, 1781 in Truro, England. As a young man Martyn excelled in classical and mathematical studies. The tender concern of a believing sister, the pain of his father’s death, and the godly counsel of a Cambridge mathematic’s instructor compelled him to read the New Testament. During his personal study of the scriptures, Martyn came to a living faith in Jesus Christ and was soundly converted. While at St. John’s College in Cambridge, Martyn sat under the preaching of Charles Simeon, vicar of holy Trinity Church. Modern evangelicals, regrettably, have largely forgotten Simeon. Yet, his influence on evangelical history is incalculable. During his 54-year ministry at…
Read MoreMichael A.G. Haykin gives a concise and inspirational account of the life and work of William Carey, English missionary to India and often called “The Father of Modern Missions.” Reformed theology was the solid foundation of Carey’s ministry. Haykin explains: In his theology, Carey married a deep-seated conviction regarding God’s sovereignty in salvation to an equally profound belief that in converting sinners God uses means.… Without understanding Carey’s consistent delight in Calvinism throughout his life, we cannot understand the man, his motivation, or eventually the shape of his mission. (43–44) One example of Carey’s firm grasp of the doctrines of grace appears when he writes that one “may well expect to see fire and water agree, as persons with…
Read MoreHow can I pray best for our church’s missionaries? Several ago I read this stirring challenge from Dr. Ralph Davis, former pastor of Woodland Presbyterian Church, Hattiesburg, Mississippi: “’Lord, bless the missionaries’ is a cop-out prayer. What do we specifically mean by ‘bless’? In what particular way do we wish God to bless them? And are the missionaries one blurred mass of unknowns or do they have names? Too frequently one suspects that ‘bless the missionaries’ means something like, ‘Be nice to those folks we don’t really know doing things we don’t want to do in places where we don’t want to be.’ If you want to begin praying thoughtfully for your missionaries, you may begin simply by thinking who…
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