Posts Tagged ‘William Carey’

1. William Carey: A Wretched, Poor, and Helpless Worm

   Posted on October 17th, 2012 by David Burnette

   

   In his book, 10 Who Changed the World, Danny Akin cites the following excerpt from the great Baptist missionary William Carey on his 70th birthday, just three years before his death:

   “I am this day seventy years old, a monument of Divine mercy and goodness, though on review of my life I find much, very much, for which I ought to be humbled in the dust; my direct and positive sins are innumerable, my negligence in the Lord’s work has been great, I have not promoted his cause, nor sought his glory and honor as I ought, notwithstanding all this, I am spared till now, and am still retained in his Work, and I trust I am received into the divine favor through him. I wish to be more entirely devoted to his service, more completely sanctified and more habitually exercising all the Christian graces, and bringing forth the fruits of righteousness to the praise and honor of that Savior who gave his life a sacrifice for sin.” (12)

   Three years later, Carey’s tombstone would read as follows:

   “A wretched, poor, and helpless worm, on thy kind arms I fall.” (12)

   This humble self-assessment by the “father of the modern missions movement” may surprise us, for as Akin points out, “William Carey may have been the greatest missionary since the time of the apostles” (1). However, Carey’s words remind us that even those who are used by God in remarkable ways are used, not due to their own ability, but rather in spite of their inability. All is of grace.

   (Akin’s citations taken from Timothy George’s Faithful Witness: The Life and Mission of William Carey, 155)

2. Well Said…

   Posted on July 20th, 2012 by David Burnette

   1. Test Your Wives: Five questions for husbands to ask their wives in order to love them better. This is a great way to obey Ephesians 5:25-33.
   

   2. Piper and Keller on Sanctification: Check out part 1 and part 2 of this conversation between John Piper and Tim Keller. Questions such as, “How does justification relate to sanctification?” are crucial for our spiritual health.

   3. 11 Resolutions from William Carey: The great Baptist missionary from the 18th century gives us 11 resolutions with regard to being “missional,” to use an anachronism. (HT: SBC Voices)

   4. The Thing Just Isn’t There : A great quote by C.S. Lewis posted by Dane Ortlund concerning our temptation to doubt God’s goodness and wisdom. Here’s a snippet: “Whatever we desire is either what God is trying to give us as quickly as He can, or else a false picture of what He is trying to give us…”