Unbreakable Joy: Jackie Pullinger

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Slaying Dragons

I just now finished Jackie Pullinger's "Chasing the Dragon." What grace it was that brought me across this great book.

It reminds me of the often repeated encouragement I've heard from a few particular sources, "Read good biographies." Overflowing after such a wonderful read, I now concur with the need to encourage others to read good biographies.

I was impacted by the singleness of focus upon Jesus, from which came the ability to love and serve in faithful, patient, and fruit yielding obedience.

Revelation 2:10b
Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

There are those who slay dragons and there are those who hide from them.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Chasing the Dragon

As recommended by Sam Storms in Convergence, I purchased Jackie Pullinger's Chasing the Dragon. I'm nearly finished reading this and Storms was not overzealous in his strong recommendation of this book. It has been both encouraging and faith building.

This is the story of a brave young lady who followed Christ into the mission field in China. Not unlike Abraham, she followed the Lord though she knew not where she was going. Missions agencies would not accept her. After prayer and seeking counsel Jackie Pullinger purchased a one way ticket to China, believing that the Lord would lead her. He did. She soon found herself ministering to the poorest of the poor, the heroin and opium addicts, and the prostitutes in Hong Kong's Walled City.

This is testimony of one who follows Christ. Pullinger followed Christ into dark places where she would minister life and love unto the least of these. Through her simple (not extravagant) faithful love and service, many would see Christ.

Mark 10:29-30
Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

Romans 10:14-15
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"

As I consider the life of this missionary I cannot help but to ponder eternity. This lady is living a life that will be seen to have been very wise in light of eternity - though it looks quite foolish now in light of this temporary life. "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:25).

Noteworthy Quotes

Christianity preaches the infinite worth of that which is seemingly so worthless and the infinite worthlessness of that which is seemingly so valued.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord.
- George Mueller

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.
- C.S. Lewis

A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, a spiritual man is hard on himself and easy on others.
- A. W. Tozer

Our hearts are restless until we find our rest in Thee.
- Augustine

All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.
- Blaise Pascal

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
- Jim Elliot

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
- C. S. Lewis

He loves Thee too little, who loves anything together with Thee, which he loves not for Thy sake.
- Augustine

The men of this world are children. Offer a child an apple or a bank note, and he will doubtless choose the apple.
- John Newton

In the end the heart longs not for any of God's good gifts, but for God Himself. To see Him and know Him and be in His presence is the soul's final feast. Beyond this there is no quest. Words fail. We call it pleasure, joy, delight. But these are weak pointers to the unspeakable experience.
- John Piper

God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Him, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
- C.S. Lewis

It is well that we accept the hard truth now: The man who would know God must give time to Him. He must count no time wasted which is spent in the cultivation of His acquaintance. He must give himself to meditation and prayer hours on end. So did the saints of old, the glorious company of the apostles, the Godly fellowship of the prophets and the believing members of the holy church in all generations. And so must we if we would follow in their train.
- A.W. Tozer

If God contains the fullness of all good things in Himself like an inexhaustible fountain, nothing beyond him is to be sought by those who strike after the highest good and all the elements of happiness.
- John Calvin

God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him.
- John Piper

God glorifies Himself toward the creature in two ways; by appearing to their understanding, and in communicating Himself to thief hearts and their rejoicing in and delighting in Him, and enjoying manifestations He makes of Himself. God is Glorified not only by His glories being seen, but by it’s being rejoiced in. When those that see it delight in it God is more glorified than if they only see it. His glory is then received by the whole soul, both by the understanding and by the heart. God made the world that he might communicate and the creature receive His glory, and that it might be received both by the mind and the heart. He that testifies His idea of God’s glory doesn’t glorify God so much as he that testifies also his approbation of it and his delight in it.
- Jonathan Edwards