However, when his cricket career was in full swing, he resolutely gave up cricket and decided to go to China to preach the gospel of the Lord. His decision caused a sensation in Cambridge University, but he realized: "Redemption is' buy back', so if I belong to him and I still have something that doesn't belong to me, then I am a thief, otherwise I should give up everything and return to God completely. When I think that Jesus Christ died on the cross for me, why should I give up everything for him? "
In fact, stoddard never considered going abroad to preach. He thought England was big enough, but when he knew that God really wanted him to go to China, he did not hesitate to transfer his love for cricket to Christ.
After arriving in China, he worked as a missionary in Taiyuan, Shanghai, Pingyang and Long 'an successively, and married another missionary, Miss Prissy Stalwood, in 1888. Four children were born in China. Due to the deterioration of health, stoddard had to move his family back to England in 1894, and later the Holy Spirit urged him to preach the gospel in India. Arrived at 1908, he was planning to return to India, but the Lord wonderfully put Africa's needs in his heart. Although stoddard didn't stay in China's workshop all his life, he never left his missionary career. He started an African workshop and set up a global evangelical mission to help more workers harvest crops on African farms. At his 193 1 funeral, about 2000 black Christians saw him off. Stanley Smith has been working in the north of China. He can walk in fluent Chinese. He was still preaching on the night before his death, and 193 1 year 1 month 3 1 day died in Suzhou.
Who would have thought that such a missionary who loved the Lord and China was once a weak Christian with a dissolute life and uncertain spirituality?
His father is a famous surgeon. Although Smith accepted Christ at the age of 13, he has been at a spiritual low tide. When he was studying in Cambridge, he still liked to have fun. Although he likes lawn tennis, swimming, cycling and kayaking, he still finds life boring, unsatisfied and meaningless. He considers himself a failed Christian. His life didn't change until he realized that he had to give himself to the Lord. Smith soon devoted himself to direct career, including a series of outdoor parties, afternoon tea, hospital visits and visits to the poor. He also has a new burden, that is, to preach abroad. But soon he was weak again, and spirituality always went up and down, up and down. Of course he won't get lost, but he has no mental ability at all. Even when he is a priest, he is just a mediocre priest.
In an exchange with his brothers, he found himself greatly hindered by his will. He only loves Christian activities, but in the end, he still wants to decide for himself. So that night he wrote in his diary: "I must give myself completely."
He could have stayed in Cambridge, or been trained as a priest at Eldrie College, but in the end he decided that China was his lifelong career, and he embarked on this road without hesitation! Cecil Bohr-Turner ranked second and Arthur Bohr-Turner ranked third. They are also rich children. The father is a colonel. According to the tradition at that time, the second son wanted to be a cavalry and the third son was a family priest.
Although Arthur Turner knew that he would become a priest in the future, he led a chaotic life. He likes betting on horses, playing cards and dancing. It was not until Moody's sermon that he really made up his mind. From then on, he completely broke off relations with horses, cards and dances. He is the representative of the inter-school sports meeting. He still studies and exercises hard, but his purpose is to witness Christ. Among the seven masters, Arthur Turner was the first to accept China's call. He has been preaching the gospel in Sichuan, and he was in China during the Boxer Movement and the Revolution of 1911.
Cecil, the second brother, was a cavalry officer and won a football medal, but he knew that God didn't want him to climb the high position of marshal firmly, but wanted him to go to China to preach. His appearance has not been influenced by his brother Arthur. It turned out that he decided to go to China to preach the gospel after attending the "China Missionary Society" alone. Once an elder urged him to stay, because the cavalry would soon have the opportunity to be sent to India, where they could do a lot of missionary work. And his uncle, Count Henry Bai, also stopped him, but Cecil resolutely gave up the opportunity of promotion and went to Shanxi, China, and later even went deep into the forbidden area of Tibet. Among the seven outstanding figures in Cambridge, only one officer is artillery second lieutenant Dixon P.E.Hoste, who is deeply influenced by Dai Desheng. While considering the missionary workshop, Dai Desheng wrote a booklet that touched him deeply: "385 million people in China (this was the statistical data at that time, and now it is 65.438+300 million) are in the valley of the shadow of death and have no chance to contact the gospel. Recall our marshal's command,' Go all over the world and preach the gospel to all the people.' ..... In the face of groups of dying people, can you still stand by and watch? "China also began to become his burden.
At first, his father, a major general, prevented him from preaching overseas, but later his father wrote to tell him that he would not stop him again, which made him more aware of God's call.
Dai Desheng once emphasized to him the danger and loneliness of going to China, but Horst was not afraid. Surprisingly, he later replaced Dai Desheng as the head of the mission in mainland China. During his stay in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, he was detained by the Japanese army. He lived in China for more than 60 years and didn't leave China for London until one year before his death. Shortly after graduating from Cambridge University, W.W. Castle became the deputy pastor of the Anglican Church. He works among the poor, but God tells him that his studio is far from England. Since he felt inspired by overseas missionary work, it was obvious that China was the burden that God gave him.
But his determination to go to China was soon put to the test. His mother went to Edison herself and begged him not to accept Castle as a missionary. It turned out that his mother had seven sons, and Castle was her only son who stayed in England. As a result, God himself removed these obstacles. Finally, his mother wrote to Edison: "This road is difficult enough. If I obstruct, will I not become a bad mother of God's good son? " ..... God guided him on this road. It doesn't suit me, but I have to keep up. May God bless him and your work. "
Castle lived in Shanghai first, and then went to the west of China. He rarely left here until his death in 1925. Zhang not only gave up the enjoyment of the world, but also gave up great wealth. When he preached in China, his eldest brother in England wanted to give Zhang a large inheritance because he had no son to inherit the business, but Zhang resolutely refused, on the condition that he would give up his missionary work in China and go back to Britain to take care of the real estate industry. He would rather travel through towns and villages and try to preach. Once, he even walked nearly a thousand miles with Edison in hot weather. He loved China's enthusiasm and even touched his son. Later, when he grew up, he joined a mission in the interior of China. He died in John John Bowring, China, where his son preached.
Zhang is the third son in the family, and his father is a baron. He grew up in an atmosphere of Christian activities and piety, but he only has the appearance of a Christian and has no spiritual essence. Moody's mission was once weak after he truly believed in the Lord. Fortunately, this is only a short-term situation, but taking a step back will make him move forward and love the Lord more in the future! God chose him to complete the mission entrusted to him.