Skip to main content

Adolphe's Farewell

I have just finished reading Adolphe Monod's wonderful classic Farewell. I picked up this book at a book sale at the Evangelical Library (London). I did not know anything about Adolphe Monod, but seeing that it was published by Banner of Trust, I thought it must be okay. And it proved to be more than okay! 

I discovered later that Monod is regarded as the foremost preacher France has produced in the last two hundred years. You can read more on Wikipedia and Banner of Trust. I have not yet located a good biography of Monod to read. But I have started ploughing through some of his books. 

As the name suggests, Farewell is a collection of exhortations that Monod gave towards the end of his life. The devotions were not delivered in strength to hundreds as his other sermons had been, but to a small bedside gathering "under the shadow of eternity".  There are so many gems in this little book, which I shall read and re-read. Here is one of the gems on the importance of investing in your faith:
"You must gather faith for the future, you must labour today for the faith which you will need in five, ten, twenty years' time. You must store up day by day this spiritual provision, so that when the strength even to pray declines and when your languishing body and oppressed spirit help but little in the terrible conflict of which faith is the prize and reward, then surrounded by the superabounding gifts of God, all you will have to do is to open your eyes and stretch out your hand! Oh! do not wait until then to acquire faith: you may indeed find it; but let us apply ourselves to prepare for such moments of supreme conflict by increasing our provision more and more and growing up every day in faith".
What a powerful truth! Many of us spend our lives in building up our financial pension pot for that time when we are not able to work. Monod encourages us to prioritise in investing in our faith for tomorrow. When we remember that Monod is speaking these words on his death bed, we realise that he is living out what he is preaching. 

We have this wonderful classic because here is a man who could draw on his spiritual pension after years of investing in His relationship with Christ Jesus! It is probably true to say that Monod did not just invest in his faith, he invested in his ministry because in his life he had build up enough spiritial capital to enable him to minister on his death bed! What an example to all followers of Jesus who long to use the spiritual gifts God has given to their last breath!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Shame of Worldly Joy

Only a Christian can be joyful and wise at the same time, because all other people either rejoice about things that they should be ashamed of (Philippians 3:19) or things that will disappear. A Christian is not ashamed of his joy, because he is not joyful about something shameful. That is why the Apostle Paul in [2 Corinthians 1:12] defends his joy. He says, I don’t care if everyone knows what makes me happy, because it is the ‘testimony of my conscience.’ He means, let other people can be happy about base pleasures that they are afraid to admit; let other people rejoice in riches, fame, or popularity; they can be happy about whatever they want, but my joy is different. ‘I rejoice because of my conscience.’ A Christian has a happiness that he can stand by and prove. No one else can do that. They will feel embarrassed and guilty if their happiness is found in something that is outside of themselves. They cannot say, ‘this is what makes me happy’. But a Christian has the approval of his ...
Post a Comment
KEEP READING →

I am what I am by Gloria Gaynor

Beverly Knight closed the opening ceremony of the Paralympics with what has been dubbed the signature tune of the Paralympics. I had no idea Ms Knight is still in the singing business. And clearly going by the raving reviews she will continue to be around. One media source says her performance was so electric that "there wasn’t a dry eye to be seen as she sang the lyrics to the song and people even watching at home felt the passion in her words" . The song was Gloria Gaynor's I am what I am . Clearly not written by Gloria Gaynor but certainly musically owned and popularized by her. It opens triumphantly: I am what I am / I am my own special creation / So come take a look / Give me the hook or the ovation / It's my world that I want to have a little pride in / My world and it's not a place I have to hide in / Life's not worth a damn till you can say I am what I am The words “I am what I am” echo over ten times in the song. A bold declaration that she ...
Post a Comment
KEEP READING →

Pride vs Humility

Spiritual pride tends to speak of other persons’ sins with bitterness or with laughter and an air of contempt. But pure Christian humility rather tends either to be silent about these problems or to speak of them with grief and pity. Spiritual pride is very apt to suspect others, but a humble Christian is most guarded about himself. He is as suspicious of nothing in the world as he is of his own heart. The proud person is apt to find fault with other believers, that they are low in grace, and to be quick to note their deficiencies. But the humble Christian has so much to do at home and sees so much evil in his own heart and is so concerned about it that he is not apt to be very busy with other hearts. He is apt to esteem others better than himself. JONATHAN EDWARDS  (Source: The Works of Jonathan Edward’s, Volume 1)
Post a Comment
KEEP READING →