George Whitefield ---- 1714 - 1770
William Carey ---- 1761 - 1834
Adoniram Judson ---- 1788 - 1850
Charles Finney ---- 1791 - 1875
D.L. Moody ---- 1837 - 1899
Hudson Taylor ---- 1832 - 1905
John Hyde ---- 1865 - 1911
C.T. Studd ---- 1860 - 1931
Billy Sunday ---- 1862 - 1935
J. Frank Norris ---- 1877 - 1952
Jack Hyles ---- 1926 - present
C.T. Studd
Of all these men who saw revival, probably the least known today is C.T. Studd. this missionary experienced a great revival in the jungles of Africa.
It was David Livingstone who said, "I'd rather be in the heart of Africa in the will of god, than on the throne of England, out of the will of God." C.T.Studd came from one of the richest families in England. He studied law at Cambridge University, and was the outstanding cricket player in England. He had everything a young person in England could desire except the throne. Yet, the will of God for this great athlete was to go to China, India, and finally to the heart of Africa.
C.T.Studd grew up in a Christian home and he loved the Lord. However, he also loved cricket, the national sport in England. He was also very, very good. In 1881 he was chosen as what would be called today-cricketer of the year.
His cricket career at Cambridge was described as "one long blaze of cricketing glory." No one could stir the English as C.T.Studd could with his play. He was simply England's most exciting athlete. He said later that he never regretted his love for the game, but he did regret that he made an idol of it. What he did learn was self-denial, self-control, endurance, and a willingness to sacrifice for a cause. These traits were later evident and very useful in missionary service.
His service for Christ was not a priority and he always regretted this time in his life when Jesus was not first. He was quick to warn others not to follow his steps. In China he would later write his younger brothers:
"I don't say, don't play games or cricket or so forth. By all means play and enjoy them, giving thanks to Jesus for them.
Only take care that games don't become an idol to you as they did to me. What good will it do to anybody in the nest world to have been the best player that ever has played? And, then, think of the difference between that and winning people to Jesus."
While starring in cricket, his brother George, a devout Christian, became ill he almost died. C.T.Studd began to view life as more than sports popularity. D.L.Moody was in Great Britain and he felt a desire to hear him. God stirred his heart and he was never again the same person. C.T.Studd went to hear D.L.Moody as a backslidden Christian. He had never won a soul.
After he heard D.L.Moody, he had a passion for souls.
"I cannot tell you what joy it gave me to bring the first soul to the Lord Jesus Christ. I have tasted almost all the pleasures this world can give. I do not suppose there were pleasures were as nothing compared t the joy that the saving of that one soul gave me."
Believing his family would be thrilled to know of his decision. He announced to them his plans. Instead, he found most of them, especially his mother, very much against him "wasting his life" among the heathen people of China. Other relatives tried to discourage him, warning him his decision to go to China was breaking his mother's heart.
"But I knew God had given me His marching orders to go to China" he wrote and was determined to go, regardless of the cost. Before actually leaving for China he had the joy of seeing his mother changed her thinking and even begin to encourage him in his work. This was the kind of person C.T.Studd was; a man of conviction whose loyalty to Jesus Christ was greater than to his family; a man who refused to allow God's will for his life to be sidetracked by difficult circumstances.
Six other classmates had also become interested in China. Together they visited Hudson Taylor, Director of the China Inland Mission, who was in England at the time, recruiting missionaries for China.
These seven young men were accepted into the China Inland Mission and become known as the "Cambridge Seven." these seven were overwhelmed with invitations to speak about their decision to go to China. C.T.Studd spoke at Exeter Hall, London's largest indoor meeting place. He challenged the great number of young people gathered:
"I want to recommend you tonight to my Master. I have tried many ways of pleasure in my time; I have been running after the best Master--and thank God I have been running after the best Master--and thank God I have found Him..."
He closed with this challenge:
"There is enough power in this meeting to stir not only London and England, but the whole world."
The next morning, February 5, 1885, the Cambridge Seven left for China. When he was 25 years old he was to received his inheritance which amounted to 25,000 pounds; a great sum today and simply a fortune over 100 years ago!
C.T.Studd had never had to think much about finances and so he decided to give all his inheritance which away and live by faith. He sent 5,000 pounds to George Mueller and his orphanages. He gave 5,000 pounds to the Salvation army, which at that time was a soul-winning organization.
Studd was engaged to Priscilla Stewart, who was also serving in China, He asked her if she thought it was wise to keep a portion of the money for their future. She reminded him that the Lord had impressed him to give it all away. He took the remaining money and gave it to other Christian organizations. He lived by faith in China for nine years. When the two were married they had about five dollars and a few belongings but more importantly, God's Hand of blessing was upon them.
He began his work and it was in these early years of Christian service that he also began to see the power of God work in the lives of the heathen. One example was a man who remained after one of C.T.Studd's preaching services to talk. He told Studd, "I'm a murderer and an adulterer. I've broken all laws again and again. I'm also a confirmed opium smoker. Your God cannot do anything to changed me." C.T.Studd told him of the love of Christ and the power of the Holy spirit and the man was saved. The first thing this new convert decided to do was to go back and confess all his evil deeds to those he had done wrong to. He wanted to till them what Jesus had done for him.
C.T. Studd believed it was God's will to go Northern India and start a work where D.L.Moody had wanted to start a work; the place where Studd's father had become rich as a tea planter. He stayed there for six months and a great number of people were saved. He moved to Ootacamund, in South India, where he labored for six fruitful years. However, his problems with asthma became so bad in that climate he could not sleep.
C.T.Studd returned to England in 1906 to restore his health. He decided to spend the rest of his life winning souls there and challenging the younger men to take his place on the mission field. One day, in 1908, as he was walking down a street in Liverpool, England, a sign caught his attention. It read, "Cannibals want Christians." He couldn't help but laugh as he wondered what was so especially tasty about eating a Christian. Once inside the meeting place a missionary from Africa was pouring out his heart about the need for more missionaries there.
He spoke about how big game hunters, explorers, traders, European officials, and scientists had endured all kinds of hardships to open up the country from a commercial and scientific standpoint, but Christians were not willing to go. He cried out, "Why doesn't someone hear and answer God's call?...Why don't you go?"
The Lord dealt in C.T.Studd's heart and he said, "Lord I'll Go." He went to the men who had given all his money away, these friends of his father began to help him. They asked him to go to his doctor for advice.
He went to the doctor, knowing what he would say: "Mr Studd, you won't make it six months in that climate with your condition, much less a normal lifetime."
He returned to these men saying, "The doctor said I shouldn't go but I believe it is the Lord's will."The men met alone to discuss the matter. Then they told him, they thought he was making a mistake and they couldn't help him.
He said he became very discouraged. He felt it was God's will to go to Africa but how could he go without their support? for several weeks he stayed in this condition until one day he remembered back to the time he had given all his inheritance away and lived by faith. Suddenly he rejoiced:"If God can take care of me all those years in China and India by faith, then God can take care of me in Africa!"
C.T.Studd got on a ship and left for Africa. Before he left he wrote those men a letter and said, "I will blaze the trail in Africa, though my body may only become a stepping stone, that younger men may follow."
He finally arrived in the heart of Africa--the Belgian Congo. He stayed there 18 years; the doctors were wrong! At the age of fifty, this man of God set out on his greatest missionary work and was to see revival far beyond any expectation.
As far as evil and wickedness, what he found in Africa far surpassed what he had seen in China and India. The practice of witchcraft, the vicious manner in which the tribes would devour each other, the inhumane customs, and the tribal secret societies, grieved his heart.
His converts would go with him on his preaching trips in the remote jungle for as long as three months at a time. He trained about 20 men in preaching this way and established churches wherever he went.
C.T. Studd started many churches in areas where people would walk from long distances to come to the services. One such place was Ibambi, the church he had started that he loved to visit the most. After preaching there and winning some convert, it wasn't long before people were coming from all over the surrounding areas. They built a building that would seat 1,500 people, which seemed out of place considering the fact that there probably weren't 1,500 people within several miles on the church, and walking was the means of transportation.
Revival came to his church and soon it was full. The natives would walk hours, some all Saturday night, to come to his church. C.T. Studd said that on Sunday he would wake up very early in the morning, well before dawn, because he could hear the Christian singing their Christian songs as they would be walking down the hills, through the jungle, on their way to church. When the sun came up, the building would be filled with eager faces waiting for the preaching to begin. From dawn to noon the service would go on with singing, testifying, and C.T. Studd's long messages. After a short break to eat, all would return for the service which would often last until the sun would go down. They would return home burdened to win their friends and neighbors to Christ.
Missionary C.T. Studd had a Christ-like spirit which included a sense of humor. One time a fellow missionary had been worried because of Studd's health. He had serious problems with his teeth. He told C.T. Studd, "You really need to go home and get your teeth properly fixed."
His answer was always the same, that his suffering had been very small in comparison to Christ's and; "If God wants me to have some new teeth, He can just as easily send me some here."
Soon after that a boat came up the river where he was staying and the new missionary it brought met one of the daughters of C.T. Studd with these words: "God has sent me to the heart of Africa not only to preach the Gospel, but also to provide Mr. Studd with a set of teeth."
The Africans called him "Bwana" and you can imagine the shock and surprise of the congregation there at Ibambi when he appeared with his new white teeth. Of course, these natives had never seen false teeth. His new teeth were bothering him though, so during the prayer he took them out. Some of the congregation noticed after the prayer
was finished, that his teeth were gone. "Who has stolen Bwana's teeth while we've all been praying?" they asked. They began to shout as some of the members began to run outside to get their spears.
He loved practical jokes and with his new teeth he had good opportunity. One day he put in the lower plate without pressing it into position. When some of the Africans workers came in, he set on a stool, took a pair of pliers, and pulled out the eight new teeth with one pull. He said the expression on their faces was unforgettable.
There came a time in Ibambi when a great number of the church began to turn back from serving the Lord. Church attendance began to drop dramatically and some returned to idolatry, witchcraft, and even taking part in the inhumane practices of the tribal secret societies. It became the attitude of some, that since they now prepared for the next world, that it did not matter how much they lied, deceived, stole, sinned sexually, of followed customs against the teaching of the Bible.
This was the biggest he ever had to face. He always believed the cure for this kind of thing was a baptism of the Holy Spirit and a great desire for revival. He knew it would only come when Christians were grieved, not only by the sins of those who had outwardly backslidden, but also by their own sin first. The problem was compounded by other missionaries that had come. C.T. Studd refused to change from his strong belief that missionaries who worked their should live simple lives, sacrifice personal desires and comforts, and live by faith.
One night in a meeting with these missionaries he was speaking from Hebrews 11 and the great heroes of faith:
"What was the Spirit which caused these very human people to so triumph and die? the Holy Spirit of God...This is our need tonight. Will God give us as He gave to them? Yes! Yes! Yes! What are the conditions? God gives to those who give Him their all."
One by one the missionaries began to talk about surrendering 100% to Christ and not to consider themselves and their needs important. They agreed to pray and work until revival came.
A great revival was started at that prayer meeting among these Christians and it spread to the other Christians and finally to the lost. The church at Ibambi became a church that sent workers everywhere preaching the Word. Some of those converts that the Lord used greatly were the most unlikely.
One such convert of C.T. Studd was Zamu, a small, unimportant man in his village, who suffered from an ulcer on his leg that would not heal. He was often in trouble with other village officials as he would travel far and wide, preaching and winning souls.
Zamu heard about a large tribe nearly 200 miles south of his village. This tribe had been an enemy of his tribe for generations, After being warned by some of the Christians at Ibambi not to go, he went to get advice from C.T. Studd. Knowing that Zamu, like himself, had a pioneering spirit to do what seemed to be impossible, the wise missionary told him, "Go, and day by day God will give you strength. Don't be afraid. Preach the Gospel and God will bless your work."
Zamu, with his wife, began to walk. Painfully he walked 80 miles through the forest. They crossed the Ituri River and went another 100 miles. Upon reaching the Balumbi Tribe, he was received kindly by the people. However, they couldn't understand why this man would not participate in all the sinful things they did.
All was fine until he began to point out their sins. The people got mad and tried to starve him and his wife. The Lord intervened and sent the brother of the local chief to help him. God blessed his willingness to suffer and soon he had a number of converts.
C.T. Studd lost all track of Zamu and after several years he sent some workers to try to find him. Many Christians in Ibambi thought he had probably been killed. Instead, they found his labors very fruitful. Zamu came back to Ibambi and challenged the people to help him with laborers to evangelize this large tribe. His faith stirred the hearts of about 50 members to go. They left and revival throughout the Balumbi Tribe.
By the Grace of God, C.T. Studd saw over 200 churches started while he was in Africa. His influence went far beyond this great number of churches being started as his zeal and love for God was contagious.
He was a Christian who lived very simply. He had no savings and lived in a bamboo hut. Walls made of dried mud was a far cry from the mansion he was raised in. One of his daughters who spent most of her life in England had some bitterness against her father he had given away his inheritance while in China. Near his death, she came to Africa to visit him. Like any father, he wanted to do what he could for his child. He looked around his little hut to see if he might find something of value to leave with her, but his search was in vain. Tears came as he turned to her. "I'm sorry. I have nothing to give you. I've given everything to god."
It wasn't long before his daughter repented and grew to admire the great faith, sacrifice, and love he had for God. Jim Elliot, the missionary who was martyred in Ecuador said; "He is no fool, who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose." Fifty years before those words were spoken, a missionary named C.T. Studd was a man who put these words into practice. Our Saviour said it even better when He said, "But lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moth and rust doth corrupt."
Home
George Whitefield ---- 1714 - 1770
William Carey ---- 1761 - 1834
Adoniram Judson ---- 1788 - 1850
Charles Finney ---- 1791 - 1875
D.L. Moody ---- 1837 - 1899
Hudson Taylor ---- 1832 - 1905
John Hyde ---- 1865 - 1911
C.T. Studd ---- 1860 - 1931
Billy Sunday ---- 1862 - 1935
J. Frank Norris ---- 1877 - 1952
Jack Hyles ---- 1926 - present
