C. T. Studd quotes
Charles Thomas Studd was BORN: 2nd December, 1860, Spratton, Northamptonshire, England, & DIED: 16th July, 1931, Ibambi, Africa
C. T. Studd was an outstanding County and All-England Cricketer. He & two of his eldest brothers all became Christians on the same day, due to the challenge set forth by two visiting preachers to his father’s home. Studd was 16 years old at the time.
C. T. Studd attended Eton, He was a freshman at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1879-1880, and took a degree in law. By that time he had been challenged to a missionary career and, forsaking his cricketing fame and the family fortune, he followed Hudson Taylor to China. In February, 1885, he sailed for China arriving in Shanghai on 18th March. Studd & his colleagues at once began the study of the language seven to ten hours a day, donned Chinese garb, and ate with and like the Chinese.
He returned 21 years later, broken in health, after serving in China and India. From 1906 to 1908 he must have spoken to tens of thousands of men, many of whom never went to a religious service, but were drawn to hear him by his sporting reputation. Many made their decisions for Christ.
Unexpectedly Studd received a new and very distinct call to the heart of Africa. At 53, leaving his invalid wife in England, he set out in utter reliance on God’s promises. His answer to all who questioned the wisdom of his action was found on a postcard on his desk: If Jesus Christ be God, and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.
Back in England, the day after Studd left (in 1916) his wife got off the invalid’s bed never to return – a miracle? She began to live the life of a whirlwind, and the salvation of souls, plus the care of her children were the prime focus of her life. She travelled extensively & was considered one of the finest missionary speakers in the world. The mission title was changed from Heart of Africa Mission to Worldwide Evangelization Crusade.
Quotes
”Funds are low again, hallelujah! That means God trusts us and is willing to leave His reputation in our hands.”“Some want to live within the sound
Of church or chapel bell;
I want to run a rescue shop,
Within a yard of hell.”
“True religion is a very practical thing if we do not adulterate it.”
“The best cure for discouragement or qualms is another daring plunge of faith.“
“Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
“If God who sits in the heavens can laugh, His children on earth should be loyal enough to do exactly as their Father does.”
“It is good to have the laugh of faith. When doubt whines and cries, faith laughs.”
“I can easily see why the folks at home want to eliminate Hell from their theology, preaching and thought. Hell is indeed awful unless its preaching is joined to a life laid down by the preacher. How can a man believe in Hell unless he throws away his life to rescue others from its torment? If there is no Hell, the Bible is a lie. If we are willing to go to Hell on earth for others, we cannot preach it.”
“I am getting desperately afraid of going to heaven for I have had the vision of the shame I shall suffer as I get my first glimpse of the Lord Jesus; His majesty, power and marvellous love for me, who treated Him so meanly and shabbily on earth, and acted as though I did Him a favour in serving Him! No wonder God shall have to wipe away the tears off all faces, for we shall be broken-hearted when we see the depth of His love and the shallowness of ours.“
“Let us not glide through this world and then slip quietly into heaven, without having blown the trumpet loud and long for our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Let us see to it that the devil will hold a thanksgiving service in hell, when he gets the news of our departure from the field of battle.”
“The light that shines farthest shines brightest nearest home.”
“How could I spend the best years of my life in living for the honours of this world, when thousands of souls are perishing every day?”
“The best training for a soldier of Christ is not merely a theological college. They always seem to turn out sausages of varying lengths, tied at each end, without the glorious freedom a Christian ought to abound and rejoice in. You see, when in hand-to-hand conflict with the world and the devil, neat little biblical confectionery is like shooting lions with a pea-shooter: one needs a man who will let himself go and deliver blows right and left as hard as he can hit, trusting in the Holy Ghost. It’s experience, not preaching that hurts the devil and confounds the world. The training is not that of the schools but of the market: it’s the hot, free heart and not the balanced head that knocks the devil out. Nothing but forked-lightning Christians will count. A lost reputation is the best degree for Christ’s service. It is not so much the degree of arts that is needed, but that of hearts, loyal and true, that love not their lives to the death: large and loving hearts which seek to save the lost multitudes, rather than guard the ninety-nine well-fed sheep in the British pen.”
“Difficulties, dangers, disease, death, or divisions don’t deter any but Chocolate Soldiers from executing God’s Will. When someone says there is a lion in the way, the real Christian promptly replies, ‘That’s hardly enough inducement for me; I want a bear or two besides to make it worth my while to go.’ ”
“Don’t go into the study to prepare a sermon — that’s nonsense. Go into your study to God and get so fiery that your tongue is like a burning coal and you have got to speak.”
