Study and Preach

STREAMS OF LIVING WATER – Richard Foster

Richard Forster in his book “Streams of Living Water” Speaks about God’s people taking on a distinct Jesus lifestyle, and presenting the world with a living christ….”imitatio Christi”….

One of the things I’ve been reflecting on today is the need to be an authentic Jesus church. A people who imitate Christ, in our dealings with each other, in our care and grace, in our conflicts, in our disapointments and heartbreaks, in out frustrations.

When we look at the gospels we see jesus being a person of prayer, a person of justice, a person filled with the Spirit, a person of the word, a person whose holiness touched other, and a person who brought God near to us, he incarnated God in the community.

It has been nagging away at me today that this kind of imitating is what we need to be about, church leadership needs to model this in the world, normal chritian living needs to model this in the world.

The life of the church as an incarnation of Jesus in the community by the Spirit of God, is a thing to be prized most dearly, something we need to aim at for the days ahead, something to reflect upon, something to imitate.

It would be great to lose all the red tape and controlling authority that exists in the church today and return to following the master, imitating him in every situation, imitating his grace, love, peace, sense of justice, righteousness, sense of fun.

This “imitatio christi” would help change the landscape of the church.

Click here for a link to Foster’s Book “Streams of living water”

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HEROES OF THE FAITH
These books are a good source of encouragement. Prayer foundation have many other good resources.

Amy Carmichael: A Life Abandoned to God by Sam Wellman
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_amy_carmichael.htm

Billy Graham: The Great Evangelist by Sam Wellman
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_billy_graham.htm

Billy Sunday: Evangelist on the Sawdust Trail by Rachael M. Phillips
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_billy_sunday.htm

Brother Andrew: God’s Undercover Agent by Alan Millwright
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_brother_andrew.htm

Charles Finney: The Great Revivalist by Bonnie C. Harvey
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_charles_finney.htm

Charles Sheldon: Author of In His Steps by Ellen Caughey
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_charles_sheldon.htm

Charles Spurgeon: The Great Orator by J. C. Carlile
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_charles_spurgeon.htm

David Livingstone: Missionary and Explorer by Sam Wellman
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_david_livingstone.htm

D. L. Moody: The American Evangelist by Bonnie C. Harvey
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_d_l_moody.htm

Eric Liddell: Olympian and Missionary by Ellen Caughey
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_eric_liddell.htm

Fanny Crosby: The Hymn Writer by Bernard Ruffin
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_fanny_crosby.htm

George Müller: Man of Faith by Bonnie Harvey
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_george_muller.htm

George Whitefield: Pioneering Evangelist by Bruce & Becky Durost Fish
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_george_whitefield.htm

Gladys Aylward: Missionary to China by Sam Wellman
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_gladys_aylward.htm

Hudson Taylor: Founder, China Inland Mission by Vance Christie
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_hudson_taylor.htm

Jim Elliot: Missionary to Ecuador by Susan Martins Miller
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_jim_elliott.htm

John Bunyan: Author of The Pilgrim’s Progress by Sam Wellman
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_john_bunyan.htm

John Calvin: Father of Reformed Theology by Sam Wellman
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_john_calvin.htm

John Newton: Author of Amazing Grace by Anne Sandberg
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_john_newton.htm

John Wesley: The Great Methodist by Sam Wellman
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_john_wesley.htm

John Wycliffe: Herald of the Reformation by Ellen Caughey
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_john_wycliffe.htm

Jonathan Edwards: The Great Awakener by Helen K. Hosier
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_jonathan_edwards.htm

Martin Luther: The Great Reformer by Edwin P. Booth
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_martin_luther.htm

Mary Slessor: Queen of Calabar by Sam Wellman
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_mary_slessor.htm

Samuel Morris: The Apostle of Simple Faith by W. Terry Whalin
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_samuel_morris.htm

William and Catherine Booth: Founders of the Salvation Army by Helen Hosier
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_william_and_catherine_booth.htm

William Carey: Father of Modern Missions by Sam Wellman
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_william_carey.htm

William Tyndale: Bible Translator and Martyr by Bruce Fish
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_william_tyndale.htm

William Wilberforce: Abolitionist, Politician, Writer by Lon Fendall
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_william_wilberforce.htm

Watchman Nee: Man of Suffering by Bob Laurent
http://prayerfoundation.org/books/book_review_heroes_watchman_nee.htm